The Heart That Leads You
by SilverMoon2465
Summary: After Edward leaves Bella in New Moon, Charlie calls his niece, Annalise, to come down to Forks to help Bella recover. Upon arrival, Annalise is sucked into the world of vampires and werewolves as she makes new friends, enemies, and a devote love of her own. Follow Annalise as she enters the story we all know and love to meet the man of her dreams.
1. Chapter 1

_I am working on this story as a fun little project over winter break. With that being said, I am not editing or rereading this as I post it so please excuse any grammatical errors or inconsistencies. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know if you have any suggestions._

 **Chapter 1**

I played the piano softly as the rain gently beat against my window. I was in my small bedroom in our two bedroom apartment that I shared with my mother. After graduating early as a junior from high school, I was taking the year off, only working a small part time job before deciding what I wanted to do with my life.

My mother has always been very supportive of me. When my father passed away when I was seven, she immediately got a full time job, went to night classes at the local night college before earning a degree to be a real estate agent. She has been supporting me ever since, being my best friend through our grief over my dad.

As I played the piano, I think back to the faint memories I have of him. He would always say I was a carbon copy of my mom, petite, pale skin with think chestnut hair that cascaded down my back and soft blue eyes. Yet the one thing that I shared with my father was a love of music. I remember listening to him play piano at night and I would crawl on the bench with him and demand he teach me. We would play simple duets while my mom would cook dinner, listening to our little shows. Life was simple and joyful.

I stopped playing when I head the faint jingle of keys in the front door. I turn around to see my mother enter the apartment, shopping bags in hand with her large purse draped over her thin shoulders. She had sunglasses perked up on top of her head which held back her short, bobbed hair from her face.

Immediately standing up, I assist her with groceries.

"How was your day, Mom?"

Letting out a big breath of air, she huffed. "You wouldn't believe the clients that I had to deal with today, Annalise. It was a newlywed couple who had this big dream house and nothing I showed them seemed to be good enough. In one house the windows were too small, one house didn't have the backyard they were hoping for, and the last house didn't 'feel right'."

I laugh as she continued. I knew my mom loved her job, and she did too. We both knew that she would gladly go through this whole day all over again in a heart beat.

"Well, how was your day?" She asked after her little story was finished.

"Nothing much." I shrugged. "Mike from work said I could go home early, so I've been home learning a new piece for the last few hours."

I worked part time at the local post office sorting mail in our small town of Sisters, Oregon. It wasn't much, but I enjoyed the simple work and my managers were always nice and generous.

"Let me guess," my mom says grinning. "You've mastered whatever piece you've been working on."

I smile. "You know me so well. It's a lullaby from Bach, want me to play it for you?"

"You know I do, dear. You play and I'll get dinner started."

As my mother set off to busy herself in the kitchen, I went back to the well worn seat next to our old piano and I take a breath before placing my fingers lightly on the keys. In an instance, the sweet lullaby filled with room. I close my eyes as I let my fingers weave their way through the song, picking up on where they need to go at the right time.

A half hour later, my mother and I were sitting down at the table eating the pasta she found at the grocery store.

"Annalise," my mother said, after finishing her portion. "I forgot to tell you, but your Uncle Charlie called me this afternoon."

I frowned as I tried to recall my Uncle Charlie. He was my dad's brother, living out somewhere in Washington. He was divorced with a daughter, but I believe she lived with her mom in Arizona except for summers. When my dad had just passed away, we would go visit Charlie and his daughter, Bella I think, for the summers. But that was a long time ago.

"What did he want?"

She stood up as she began to clear our plates. "Well, he was actually asking about you?"

"Really?" I couldn't hide my confusion.

"Apparently his daughter, Bella, has been living with him for the last year but she recently went through a bad break up and is hopelessly depressed. He said she's been moping for months and he was wondering if you would come down and stay with them for a little while to try and make her feel better."

I was instantly saddened at the news of Bella. That must be horrible, and I could imagine how awkward it must be for them as Charlie was never really the sentimental type.

"I don't know," I started. "I mean, I have work here and Bella has school there so I don't know how much help I could be. And with work…"

My mom cut me off. "I think it would be good for you." She went on after she caught my attention. "Here's a chance for you to rekindle your relationship with your cousin and get out of this apartment. Work will understand, dear. And it will be cool to get a new experience. Charlie's invited you to come live with them for the rest of the spring and the summer. Maybe you can even get a job down there in your free time."  
I was surprised at my mom's eagerness. Normally she wanted me close by her.  
"Well, what about you?"

She gave a light laugh. 'Don't worry about me, dear. I can manage on my own here and maybe it will force me to get out with some of my friends. I just hate the thought of you mopped up here in the apartment. You're young, you should be off having adventures."

I give a small smile. "I'm only seventeen, mom. I still have plenty of time for adventures. But if you think it's a good idea, maybe a trip to Charlie's isn't a bad idea. I'll have to call my boss though and tell him I'm taking a sudden leave of absence. Hopefully they'll still have my position there when I come back."

My mom finished putting the plates in the dishwasher. "I wouldn't doubt it, dear. Those people absolutely love you."

I laughed at her comment.

Four short days later, I found myself on a quick plane ride to Forks, Washington. The weather was muggy out but not much different from the dreary weather back home. I had grown to love the cold and rain, it calmed me.

Charlie's police cruiser was waiting for me, causing my to laugh. I had forgotten Charlie's work. Secretly, I had always wanted to ride in a police car, I'm just glad I was sitting in the front and not the back.

"Thank you for coming, Annalise. I was running out of ideas to help Bella, I even threatened to send her to her mother's, yet she's very stubborn. Yet she's absolutely miserable, you can just see it in her eyes. This boyfriend of hers, Edward, promised her the world and then he leaves her stranded in the woods with hardly a goodbye causing her enormous amounts of pain for the next several months. I finally just started getting her out of the house."

My eyebrows pull together in worry at the sound of Bella. It was clear how much Charlie cared for her, and he was desperate to help her. Hopefully I could be a comfort to Bella.

The rest of the car ride was quiet, not unpleasantly so because I was use to silence, so I rather enjoyed looking out of the window at the budding green landscape covered in a thin mist.

When we arrived at the small house, Charlie helped me carry my two suitcases up to Bella's room. Charlie had moved an extra cot into the room which took most of the extra space but I didn't mind. I hoped Bella didn't mind me sharing her room.

Apparently, my cousin was down in an area called La Push visiting a friend. This was the friend Charlie told me about that was also helping draw Bella out of her shell. He said I might recognize him, Jacob Black, as we use to hang out when I visited Bella and Charlie when I was younger.

Since Bella wasn't back yet, and it was getting closer to dinnertime, I had Charlie show me where all the basic cooking supplies were and I began to make dinner.

I heard the door open right as I was setting the fajitas down on the table and I look up to see Bella. I instantly noticed the dark circles under her eyes and her pale and thin frame. Charlie was right when he said she wasn't doing well. I went over to give her a hug and I noticed how her thin frame easily fit into my petite arms which caused me to inwardly frown. I was always the same size as Bella.

"It's so good to see you again, Bella." I told her. "I hope you don't mind me sharing a room with you."

She gave a half smile. "No, I don't mind. Thank you for making dinner, it smells amazing."

I grin. "Thanks, my mom usually insists on cooking at home so it's fun to make a dish every once in awhile."

Dinner was rather silent, with Charlie making some small talk here and there. The only conversation Bella chimed in on was asking about a local gang from La Push. She was worried about her friend, Jacob, as she said they have been watching him. Charlie was quite to dismiss it, saying the group she was talking about wasn't a gang at all, but I could sense her fear and frustration.

After we all finished, Charlie insisted on cleaning the dishes and wanted us to go upstairs to spend some quality time together. I politely thanked him and followed Bella upstairs to her room.

She helped me place my clothes in a dresser and hang the few fancy clothes I owned without many words. Afterwards, we sat in silence for a few moments.

"I know you probably aren't all that thrilled to have me here. It's okay, you know, to share your feelings. I promise I won't be hurt."

She frowned. "I'm not mad that you're here, Annalise. I just wish you were here under different circumstances. I know Charlie probably called your mom and told you both how sad I was and then she and Charlie roped you into coming down here, and now you're here as a distraction to try and make me feel better."

I laughed, which seemed to surprise her.

"You probably got Charlie's stance right, but I'm not here as a distraction. When my mom told me that you had gone through a breakup, the only thing I wanted to do was comfort you. I can empathize with bad breakups, I've had one before. I can't pretend to understand what happened between you two, but I wanted you to know that I supported you."

I saw her shoulders visibly relax which sent a warm feeling in my heart. I left my cot and sat next to her on her bed.

"I also have some selfish reasons for coming. My mom was right when she said I was wasting my life back in Oregon. I wasn't really doing anything and maybe I was waiting for an opportunity to come along to get out and do something for a change. So I thought it'd be nice to at least go out and do something with someone I'm comfortable with and my same age, I mean you're only a couple months older than me."

My words seemed to comfort her and she gave me a hug.

"Thanks for coming. I'm glad you weren't forced here or came just to pity me."  
I laughed. "I would never. It's nice to get to see you again, we use to be really close when we were younger. Maybe we can be again."

She smiled, a genuine smile which gave some color to her hollow cheeks. "Maybe so. How about tomorrow since it's a Saturday I can bring you down to La Push and introduce you to Jacob." She suddenly grinned. "If you can keep a secret from Charlie, I can show you what I've been working on for the last couple weeks."

I laugh. "I can't wait."

 _Please review_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying my story. I am writing this very fast as I seem to have the enthusiasm to keep writing so I might as well update quickly as well since I am trying to finish this story within the next two weeks._

 _Annalise doesn't meet Sam yet in this chapter, I want there to be a good introduction to her character as well as the character of Bella and Jacob before introducing anything else. I am also trying to stay as close to the book as I can because those are the kind of fanfics that I love the most._

 _Anyway, hopefully in the next chapter she'll meet Sam but if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Also, let me know how you are enjoying the story. Is it too fast, too slow, needs more or less? I'd love the advice!_

 _Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy the next chapter._

 **Chapter 2**

The next day Bella drove me down to La Push in her beat-up Chevy truck. I was appalled at the vehicle and it's misinformed shape, yet Bella seemed to be in love with it.

La Push was only fifteen minutes away from the house, and on the drive, I tried to remember what Jacob Black looked like. Only faint memories of a small, scraggly looking kid popped into my mind.

We arrived at the Black's house and I love the quaint little red house with the winding porch leading up to the door. Jacob's dad, Billy Black, greets us at the door. He is a strong looking man in a wheelchair, with long black hair and a kind smile.

"Jacob's in the back." He nudged his head at Bella and me. "Good to see you again, Annalise. Its been so long, you probably don't recognize me."

I smile. "Not really, but it's good to see you again Billy. Charlie talks a lot about you, I'm glad he has you as a friend."

Billy's face lights up as Bella and I head behind the house to an old garage where Jacob must be.

"Are you ready for the surprise?" Bella asks me curiously.

I chuckle. "Ready as I'll ever be."

When we reach the garage, the first thing I notice is the two old motorcycles carefully placed in the center of the garage. Though old, they were beautiful and I couldn't help but feel Bella's excitement as she glanced eagerly over the vehicles. It didn't register to me that someone else was there until I spotted a massive figure crawling out from behind one of the motorcycles.

He was huge! Well over six foot, he had tan skin and long dark hair similar to Billy's and a large, powerful frame that screamed built.

"Hey, Bella." The guy said.

"Hey, Jacob."

I gasped. This was Jacob Black! No freakin way did I ever visualize Jacob turning out this way. He must have noticed my shock when he turned to me and offered his hand.

"Hey, I'm Jacob. You must be Annalise."

Still recovering from my shock, I shake his hand, nothing how his hand completely covers my small hand in his grasp.

Bella chuckled beside me. "Not the same Jacob that you remember, right Annalise?"

I finally get out of my faze. Smirking, I shake my head. "I guess not. Wow, Jacob. You must have grown like four feet since the last time I saw you. Seriously, I remember you as a bean pole, not a professional sumo wrestler."

He laughed a deep, hearty laugh. "You've changed a lot too. I only remember you use to hid behind Bella because you were afraid I would put mud in your hair."

"Well, it was for good reason," I grin at the memory. "You did put mud in my hair!"

We all laugh and I notice how relaxed Bella seems, and also how Jacob shifts closer to her. I instantly knew he had it bad, yet I couldn't quite tell what Bella was feeling yet.

"When do you think they will be ready?" Bella asked.

Jacob shook his head. "Too soon to tell. Hopefully soon once I put the work into them. I've been assembling all the pieces you bought me and know I just have to connect the missing parts."

Realization hits me. "Oh, crap. What is Charlie gonna say about this?"

Bella and Jacob both exchanged glances before looking at me.

"Charlie doesn't know," Bella stated. "Neither does Billy. We are keeping it a secret but I thought it would be fun to do something excited and thrilling."

I nod slowly, thinking about how the Bella I remember was the opposite of thrilling and exciting.

"Well, you don't have to worry," I said, wiping my hands on my legs. "Your secret is safe with me if it means I get to hang out with you guys."

Jacob grinned. "Of course! It will be fun. Bella comes down here almost every day now. We do have to set aside some days for homework, but otherwise we're working on the bikes or going on adventures."

I feel a lightness enter my chest, filling me with happiness. "Sounds wonderful!"

The rest of the day was spent attempting to help Jacob with the bikes, only Bella and I were absolutely hopeless so we just ended up watching Jacob work. And soon it was dinner and Billy was out calling for Jacob and telling us it was time to go home.

"I'm glad you have Jacob," I said on the ride home. Bella was driving her truck back and I was lazily gazing out the window.

She gave a tight smile, almost forced which I noticed. "Ya, he's great. I'm glad he's so eager to help me and hang out with me."

"Almost a little too eager." I laughed.

She let out a sign. "I know he probably has feelings for me. I just–I don't know what I feel about him. He means a lot to me but I don't think I can ever think of him more as a friend."

I nod slowly, knowing she's probably feeling pain from her past relationship.

"Well, the good news is that relationships are from two sides. They can't happen if one person is feeling something and the other person isn't. Right now you just want Jacob as a friend, and if he cares for you, he will respect that and follow your wishes."

Bella reaches over and gives my hand a light squeeze.

"Thanks. I'm glad you're here. It's nice having another girl around. I've been spending so much time with Charlie and Jacob, I forgot what it's like to have some girl time."

I return the squeeze. "Anytime. I'm really grateful to be here."

The next day after Bella returns from school, we head back over to La Push. As we pass Billy and walk back over to the garage, we gasp at the bikes which are now fully put together with a large bow on each of them.

"Oh, Jacob they're wonderful!" Bella runs and throws her arms around him. I can see the faint blush in his cheeks but it quickly goes away as I walk over and also give him a hug.

"They look beautiful, Jacob. You really outdid yourself."

He grins at the both of us. "Well, are we gonna just stand here and look at them or are we gonna go ride them?"

Cut to several moments later as both bikes are loaded in the back of Bella's truck as Jacob is directing us down a dirt road to a more secluded area. As Jacob is unloading the bikes, Bella and I are transfixed on several people out on the top of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Though the cliffs are several thousand feet high, they are walking around the edge like it's nothing. I notice how the group is all guys and all shirtless, with tan skin and even from far away I can see their broad muscles.

Bella's gasp of horror brings me back to reality as I noticed one of them just leaped off from the top of the cliff and pledged down into the ocean.

"Oh my gosh!" Bella exclaims as she begins backing up towards her truck. This causes Jacob to instantly take notice of her. "We have to call an ambulance! He just flung himself from the cliff, what was he thinking?"

"Bella," Jacob tried to calm her down by placing his arms on her shoulders. "It's okay. That's the La Push gang I was telling you about. They are just cliff diving. It's a thing we all do around here, though most don't jump from such extreme heights."

As Jacob continues to try and calm down Bella, I look again at the group of people at the top of the cliff. Is this the group Bella was warning Charlie about yesterday? I try to pick up any feeling of danger, yet the more I look at the group, the more I get the strange urge to join them.

Shaking my head, I tear my gaze away and notice Jacob has distracted Bella by teaching her how to work the bikes. They really do make a cute couple, I observed as Jacob had his hand over Bella's showing her the clutch.

Yet there was something off about Bella's gaze at the machine. I would think she would have been scared riding the motorcycle, especially since she had never ridden one before. However, she had a gleam in her eyes that almost seemed hungry for something. Like she was desperate to get the bike started and ride as fast as she can.

After a few more attempts, Bella is finally able to take off. I am more nervous now as she speeds off, wobbling slightly while Jacob is running behind her trying to get her to slow down. I gasp as she freaked out, trying to stop the vehicle as it crashed to the ground.

I curse as I take off in a sprint towards them. Charlie's gonna kill me. Here I came in an attempt to help his daughter only to be the one supporting her as she rides around like a daredevil on a motorcycle.

When I reach them, I get a heavy pit in my stomach as the sight of blood rushing down Bella's forehead. Jacob had taken his shirt off in an attempt to stop the blood, and I assist him as we carry Bella back to the truck, even though she is insisting she is fine.

I drive the truck as we stop at urgent care at the hospital. Once Bella is stitched up, she and Jacob agree it's best to tell Charlie she fell and hit her head in the garage. I frown at the thought, hate having to lie to Charlie but after Bella pleads with me, I grudgingly agree to keep my mouth shut.

We drop Jacob back off at his place before driving home. Judging from her silence, I take it that she is feeling a little worse than she is letting on. I can't help shake the picture of her eager expression before she fell. I wonder what made the motorcycles so exciting that she would risk herself to get a small thrill.

Once we arrived at home, Charlie instantly jumped into protective parent mode as he set Bella straight up to bed and ordered a pizza for dinner.

After dinner, Charlie crashed in front of the couch as Bella and I headed up to her room.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked again, seeing Bella struggle to change into her pajamas.

She grimaced as her shirt touches her bandages. "I'm alright. You'd be surprised at how often these things happen to me."

"I just want to make sure you are alright. You really scared me out there, when I saw how fast you were going, you were lucky not to injure yourself more. Was it worth the risk to be going that fast."

She gave a sad smile and looked down as if sharing a private joke with herself. "It was worth it. I'm sorry about making you worry, but I'm perfectly alright and I know with a little more practice, I'll be able to get familiar with riding. Maybe you can try one out too someday, so you can also see how much fun it is."

We are silent as I finish helping her get ready for bed. I lay awake for most of the night after Bella has dozed off to her silent nightmares. As I hear her faint whimpers, my mind replays the events of the day. I am surprised that I keep going back to the guys on the cliff. They are so far away, yet my mind wants to get closer, see their faces, figure out what's drawing me to them.

After several hours, I finally succumb to an exhausted fit of sleep, not forgetting the La Push group or Bella's hungry desire for her thrill.

 _*Please Review_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey everyone! Here's chapter 3. I'm really excited about this chapter as she finally gets to meet a certain someone._

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please leave me a review to let me know how you like it or if you have any suggestions. I'm hoping to get the next chapter posted tonight or tomorrow morning._

 **Chapter 3**

"Hey Annalise, what are you doing here?" Charlie asked as he walked into the front door.

I look up from my cup of tea and book. It was several days after the biking incident, and I hadn't brought it up since.

"Bella went to a movie with Jacob and I think a friend from school. She invited me but they were going to a horror film so I decided to stay home."

Charlie nodded in understanding. He joined me in the living room and turned on the basketball. game.

"I think Bella's doing better."

I pause from my book. "Ya, I agree. I definitely noticed the emptiness that you described when I first arrived, but each day seems to get a little better."

"How is she sleeping?"

I grimace. "She still has nightmares. Bad ones too. I don't know if there's anything we can help with that will stop them. She's not mentally in a good place."

We continue to talk about Bella as Charlie shares some brief information about her messy breakup, especially how she was found in the woods after several hours of searching for her.

We break off the conversation when we hear the door open. I look up to see Bella and a slightly woozy Jacob behind her.

"Are you guys okay?" I ask, standing up.

Jacob nods but Bella is quick to defend him.

"Jacob isn't feeling good and we had to leave early since Mike kept throwing up."

Mike must have been the guy from Bella's high school that went along with them.

"I think it's best if I drive Jacob home." Bella continued but Jacob cut her off.

"Bella, really I'm fine. I can drive myself home but thanks for the offer."

Though she protested, he gave her a quick hug, bid Charlie and I goodbye before he walked out of the house towards his car.

There was a moment of silence as all three of us looked to other to begin speaking.

"So," Charlie trailed off. "How was the movie?"

Bella shrugged. "It was fine. We missed the ending because of Mike but it didn't have much plot to it anyway. I guess it's pretty late, so I'll probably head upstairs to get ready for bed."

I stood up to follow her. I gave Charlie a quick kiss on the forehead before following Bella to her room. I noticed once we were both inside that she also looked a little green.

"Is there any chance you got what Mike has?" I asked as I held my hand to her forehead. It wasn't too warm but there was a thin layer of sweat on it.

She didn't reply as she raced to the bathroom and began heaving into the toilet. She remained like this for most of the night, with Charlie and I taking turns to check on her and make sure she was drinking water. The next morning some of the color had returned to her cheeks and she seemed to feel a lot better. After seeing this, and a lot of reassurance on my part, I finally convinced Charlie it was okay for him to go to work while I stayed home to look after Bella.

"We should call Jacob," Bella suggested. "I bet he caught whatever I have."

I let her walk to the kitchen to pick up the phone while I remained on the couch. Exhaustion rolled over my body in waves as I could barely keep my eyes open. Now that Bella was feeling better, I realized how truly tired I feel myself.

I watch the crease grow on Bella's forehead as she hung up and walked back over to me.

"That was Billy. He said Jacob was in bed with a bad fever and chills. He didn't say nausea which is what Mike and I had, so I wonder if he caught something else."

I shrugged as I leaned back against the couch, trying to find peace in my now throbbing head. "I don't know Bella. Why don't you call back in a few hours and see how he's feeling. I bet Jacob is missing you as well. You know it would take a lot of out his to miss a call with you."

She let out a sigh, realizing the truth before sitting down next to me.

"You're right. Ugh, I don't know why I care so much. Jacob is just a friend yet I am anxious about him and I miss him when I'm not with him."

I gently squeeze her hand. "That means you care for him. Which is good, Bella because Jacob is a great friend and you know how much he cares for you."

Bella didn't meet my eyes and I knew something was bothering her. I remained silent as she pondered her thoughts.

"I want to do dangerous things because while I am doing them, I can hear my ex-boyfriend's voice in my head telling me to stop or turn around or what a bad decision I'm making, yet I don't mind cause I get to hear him again."

I watched as tears began to roll down her cheeks and I scoot closer to her, placing my arm around her shoulders as I lean rest my head on top of hers. She silently sobs in my arms for a few minutes before calming down.

"I'm using Jacob, though. He doesn't deserve this, yet part of me can't stop being with him. I need him, yet I know I will end up hurting him."

I carefully stroked her hair while I listen to her. Finally, I speak.

"Bella, you're not a bad person. Maybe you feel this way because you do care for him. I know you may have started out just wanting to use him, but that's clearly not the case now. Maybe he's starting to distract you from Edward and that is what is causing you so much pain because you think that you are replacing him, but that's not the case. You can have both of them in your life, you don't need to pick between them."

I felt her relax under my arm and I knew she was thinking deeply about what I said. She's strong, so letting out the emotion must be hard for her. But gradually she stopping crying and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Thanks."

I smile. "Don't mention it."

The throbbing in my head appeared again and I excused myself to go lie down. Bella made dinner when Charlie got home but I was still feeling slightly lightheaded so I chose to lie down. I don't think I had what Bella had, but the lack of sleep was probably affecting me. I heard Bella arguing on the phone as I laid in and I figured that Billy was still denying a conversation with Jacob.

Over the next couple days, Jacob still wasn't better. Bella was tearing her hair out and Charlie was about ready to tear his own hair out by her constant frustration.

"Maybe you guys should go down to La Push and visit him for yourself. Bella, maybe if you see him then you'll feel better."

Bella instantly stood up, grabbed her keys and walked out of the door, leaving me to follow. On the way, I could sense Bella's frustration but I also got worry, Bella was worried about Jacob and she was afraid to admit it to herself.

We arrived at the familiar red house as Billy emerged from the front door in his wheelchair, a frown on his face.

"Girls, you shouldn't be here."

Bella walked angrily up to him. "Can't we just see him! You won't even let me talk to him, how should I know that he's not dying?"

Billy pursed his lips. "He's actually not here." This caused Bella to falter in her steps. "Apparently he doesn't have mono, so today he's out with some friends hanging downtown. I don't know when he's going to be back."

Bella stopped trying to get past Billy and allowed for me to pull her back.

"I'm sorry about the intrusion, Billy," I said. "Can you let us know when Jacob's back? We just want to make sure he's alright."

Billy nodded and I left it at that.

I drove back as Bella was silent next to me. I couldn't help but wonder what she was feeling. Could Jacob really be ignoring her? That didn't make any sense seeing how he's been falling all over her for the past several weeks.

"It's the La Push gang!" Bella exclaimed, causing me to swerve the truck slightly from surprise.

"What?"

She looked at me with fire in her eyes. "It has to be. Jacob was warning me about them, he said Sam and his gang has been keeping watch of him for the past couple weeks and it terrifies him. I bet they got to him! Somehow convinced him to join them and now he can't talk to us!"  
"Bella, I don't think–"

I was cut off as we arrived back home and she ran inside to tell Charlie. I frowned as I followed slowly behind. I could hear her and Charlie arguing until Charlie walks to the phone and calls Billy. The two engage in a heated conversation before he hangs up the phone and walks back to Bella. Apparently, he gave them some kind of warning about staying on the reservation.

I let out a sigh, knowing it was only going to get worse from here.

The next day Bella was once again dragging me back to La Push to try and confront Jacob. Billy was waiting at the door but Bella stormed past him and entered the house without a second thought. I waited next to Billy as I hear angry shouts coming from Jacob's room. When I him start to yell at her, I walk towards them without thinking, throwing open to door to confront him when I gasped at his appearance. He was huge! Even bigger than the last time I saw him, and all of his hair was cut off in a short buzz.

Bella and he paused when they saw me, but Jacob spoke again.

"You guys need to leave. You can't be here."

"What are you talking about?" Bella cried. "Jacob, don't let Sam and his gang drag you away."

He laughed in disbelief. "You don't understand anything. Sam isn't bad, he's been helping me. Teaching me things. But I can't say anything, so you both need to get out of the house right now."

After more of Bella's protests, Jacob and Billy both convinced us to leave. Bella was heartbroken. She didn't understand why Jacob was pushing her away and frankly neither did I. Jacob had a huge crush on Bella, that was clear. The only reason he would be pushing her away would be to protect her. Maybe Sam's gang was trouble, yet Jacob had gotten roped in and couldn't get out now.

Bella was silent for the rest of the night. Charlie and I exchanged several glances over dinner as Bella barely picked at her food. I know this hurt Charlie as much as it did Bella.

Bella excused herself after dinner and trudged upstairs. I sat with Charlie downstairs watching the basketball game until I grew tired enough that I excused myself.

After brushing my teeth and running a brush through my hair, I walked into my bedroom only to freeze at the large shadow sitting on the bed next to Bella.

By the time I had opened my mouth to scream, Bella had sprung off of the bed and pushed her hand against my mouth, blocking any sound.

"Shhhhh, Annalise it's okay." Bella pleaded. "Jacob came here to talk to me."  
I flit to the dark shadow still on Bella's bed to realize it is Jacob, yet he's shirtless and totally showing off his hard abs.

I must have looked absolutely confused because Jacob chuckled.

"You look like you're crazy, Annalise."

"Maybe I am," I muttered. "What are you doing here? I mean how did you even get up here?'

Jacob paused. "Through the window. Look, I came here to try and apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you, Bella, but I need you to understand. I can't tell you what I am but you can figure it out, I know you can."

Bella nervously glanced at me while I didn't know what to say.

Jacob nodded grimly as if confirming something and they both remained silent.

"Wait!" I cried out. "Are you keeping something from me? That's not fair, I have every right to know."

"I better go," Jacob stood up, giving Bella a quick hug and a curt nod in my direction before jumping, literally jumping out of the window.

We both gasp, rushing to the window expecting to see Jacob's mangled body, but there was nothing and he was gone.

"Are you keeping something from me?" I turn to Bella, crossing my arms.

She moved back to her bed, facing away from me.

"If I was, I couldn't tell you. I promise it's not to keep you out of the loop, but rather for your own protection. There is nothing you _need_ to know, Annalise. By not telling you, I'm saving you from a lot of danger."

"Like Jacob is trying to do to you?"

She freezes at the truth in my words. "Yes, but he's trying to help me. He knows he can't this from me forever."

"What if I were to say the same about you?"

She pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Whatever it was, she didn't want to say it and quite frankly, did I even want to know?

I couldn't sleep that night, and I heard Bella tossing and turning next to me.

We both woke up as zombies the next day, and thankfully Bella didn't have school otherwise I don't know how she would have survived.

She surprised me, however, when she quickly got dressed and went downstairs.

I grew suspicious and quickly changed into simple jeans and a white tank top before following her down. I caught her just as she was leaving the door, keys in hand.

"So you've figured it out."

She paused. I could sense the conflict in her shoulders.

"Maybe, I don't know. But you still can't come with me."

"If this were reversed, and you were the one being left behind, how would you feel?"

"This isn't some silly thing though, Annalise. You could be in danger if you know anything."

I felt my anger rise. "Well, you could too, so you can't leave me here and risk your own safety. If you are going to danger, I am coming with you. We are a team now."

I saw her defenses cave and I gave a mental sigh of relief. I guess this meant she did care about me.  
"Are you sure?"

I met her gaze. "I'm positive."

She didn't say anything else as she got in the car and I followed her. The drive over to Jacob's seemed to drag on forever. I was lost in my own deep thoughts to notice how Bella was doing.

When we arrived, we weren't alone. Jacob stood around a group of large, shirtless men with their backs faced to me. There seemed to be tension all around as we made our way out of the car.

Two of the men turned to glare at us with furious expressions. I gulped.

"What are they doing here?" One of them said, he seemed to be shaking with anger or some strong emotion that I was instantly wary of. I gripped Bella's arm tightly.

"Did you tell them?" The man stepped towards us and Jacob broke off from the largest man, whose back was still turned to me and ran towards the angry one.

"Paul, calm down! They figured it out for themselves!"

Paul's shaking increased and suddenly the men were backing up as Paul bent over with both hands on the ground.

Bella sprinted towards Jacob, who was dangerously close to Paul and my legs carried me towards them without thinking.

"Bella!" I yelled, trying to grab her arm.

At the sound of my voice, the largest man whirled around and stared at me, his lips parted in shock. I look up and meet his eyes and my world stops.

How can a man have the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen? It wasn't oh, they are cute and he's cute but it was like my whole body was suspended and moving deeper and deeper towards his gaze. I wanted to know him, have him hold me close to him, whisper sweet nothings in my ear, run my fingers through his thick hair.

What is this feeling?

Time seemed to slow down as several parts moved around me. I kept the gaze of the beautiful man as I heard Bella gasp next to me. From the side, I saw Paul jump into the air with Jacob on top of him as he exploded in a flurry of fur and claws.

The beautiful man's expression changed to horror as I felt a thick pressure against my stomach and suddenly my knees were weak.

The beautiful man ran towards me as I looked down and saw thick blood running down my torso from the three long, angry claw marks that were not embedded in my stomach.

My knees collapsed as I fell to the ground yet I was caught in strong, warm arms that seemed to encircle me.

I couldn't register anything else as my body swayed from being carried and my vision went black.

 _And there's the chapter! Please leave a review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!_

 _This is more of a filler chapter as I have to catch up on some critical information before proceeding but here Annalise gets to spend some time with Sam. Their relationship will develop more in later chapters._

 **Chapter 4**

The next few hours were spent drifting in and out of consciousness. I remember hearing voices around me, feeling rough movements against my stomach, and feeling a warm hand gently squeeze mine. When I finally awoke, I looked around confusedly at the white hospital room. Bella sat in the corner of the room, reading a book.

At the sound of me stirring, she set down the book quickly.

"Oh, Annalise, thank goodness!" She rushed over to my bed.

"What happened?" I was still trying to grasp reality. My mind couldn't remember the last several hours.

Bella quickly glanced over her shoulder, checking that we were alone before leaning closer. "You don't remember going to La Push this morning to see Jacob and running into the La Push group and seeing Paul.."

She trailed off as memories slowly replayed in my head. Seeing Paul shake as he sank to the ground, hearing his growl as Jacob ran over to him, seeing him explode in a mass of fur while I was staring at…

I gasp when I remember the man I saw, the gorgeous most beautiful man ever.

"What were they?"

Bella's lips drew in a thin line. "I know it's crazy to believe, but they are all werewolves. That's what Jacob couldn't tell us. That's why he was staying away for so long. He wasn't sick, he was in transformation for the first time. They all went through that, they are all werewolves."  
I felt sick, I placed my pale hand on my forehead. "I can't believe it. I wouldn't believe it except I saw it for myself. Paul–"

"When werewolves first transform, their emotions expand dramatically along with their anger and it takes a while for them to control themselves without phasing instantly.

"Phasing?"

Bella nodded grimly. "Paul phased when he was too close to you, and he feels horrible. I saw Jacob phase a second later and fling Paul far away from you. Sam went nearly livid. He was shaking so much I thought he would phase too, but he yelled at the others to take care of them while he raced over to you. I had never seen someone react so emotionally, he was in agony at your pain and he sprinted to my car with you in his arms and drove with you all the way here. He showed so much guilt, you think he would have done it."

I looked at Bella. "Sam? Isn't he the leader you were talking about? Why did he care so much?"

Bella raised her shoulders. "I have no clue. I haven't been able to talk to Jacob yet, though I know he's phased back. They are all back in La Push now. Sam was sitting in the waiting room for hours, too stubborn to leave until he heard that you were alright. He said he would be back soon."

I took a moment to lift the blanket up and look at the thick bandages covering my torso, I couldn't feel any pain at the moment, just intense soreness but I'm guessing that is the result of the pain medication.

I looked back up at Bella. "I'm honestly so confused. I have no idea what to think. Werewolves? Seriously? Bella, that's crazy to think about. Does Charlie know? Does Billy know? And I don't even know Sam yet when I saw him for the first time I felt like I was riding on cloud nine. I have never felt more attracted to another being and yet I know nothing about him."

Bella shifted on the side of my bed. "I know this is a lot to take in, but it's gonna take time. Charlie knows nothing and he can't know. This is a big secret, Annalise and apparently, we weren't supposed to know either. They aren't exactly thrilled about us at the moment. Billy knows, he's part of the council and this is a big secret that has been passed on for generations. I know it's a lot, and I don't know a lot myself but we'll make Jacob explain more when we see him."

I looked at her curiously. "How are you not freaking out about this? I'm on pain meds so I'm not quite in the right mind, but here you are explaining to me like you're happy about this."

She shifted uncomfortably, looking away. "I probably shouldn't explain until you're feeling better. Unfortunately, the doctors said that it would leave bad scarring, but it's on your stomach so you can always choose to cover it up." She takes my hand. "I am deeply sorry this happened to you, Annalise."

Moved by her compassion, I smile. I honestly have no idea why I am not reacting to this. I should be screaming at the thought of werewolves, I should be crying over the deep scars that now cover my torso, yet I am calm.

Bella stands up. "Charlie thinks that you were attacked by a wild wolf, apparently there have been sitings of wolves in the area and now he's out with several other officers and hunters looking for them. That's why the pack had to return to La Push, to make sure they stayed concealed."

"How long am I stuck in here?"

Bella returns to her chair in the corner. "The doctor wanted to make sure you didn't disturb your stitches for the first six hours, and then afterward you're confined to bed rest for the next couple days and absolutely no strenuous activity for the next two weeks."

I groan, itching to get up and leave this boring bed. "I probably should call my mom, she must be worried."

Bella nodded. "She's been calling every hour and she keeps threatening to hop on a plane."

I can't help but grin, that sounds like my hair-brained mother. Bella quietly stepped out to give me a few moments alone. I called my mom and spent the next several minutes reassuring my mother that I was alright. I knew she felt better at hearing how even my voice was. She wanted me to come home, but I insisted on staying. Certain circumstances were definitely willing me to stay here. When I finally hung up, Bella peeked her head back into the room, her face held a certain frustration to it.

"Sam's back. He's insisting on seeing you. I tried telling him you weren't seeing anyway but he's quite persistent. Do you want me to go tell him you don't want to see him?"

"No!" I jumped before realizing it. For some reason, I was desperate to see him again. Quickly composing myself, and smooth down the blanket on top of my legs. "I mean, I want to see him."

Bella gave me a lingering glance, mixed with surprise and confusion before disappearing. Moments late, Sam pops his head in and butterflies fill my stomach. I can't describe it, but seeing him again is like a breath of fresh air. Gone is my soreness, gone is the steadily growing pain from my torso, all I can focus on is him.

"Hi," I started, breathless.

He gives a sigh of relief at seeing me. Entering the room, he walks over to the side of my bed and gently sits down next to me.

"You're alright." I stare at his face, he's even more gorgeous up close. Dark eyes lined with think lashes. His large frame radiates power and strength yet his eyes show love and kindness.

I blush slightly when I realize I've been staring at his for too long. "Yes, I'm alright. The doctor says I can leave in a couple hours. But I'm confined to bed for the next couple days to make sure the stitches don't tear."

His shoulders tense at my words and I can see he's struggling to keep his composure. Without thinking, I grab his hand, gasping at how warm it is which instantly catches his attention.

"I'm going to kill Paul. He should never have hurt you, nor been anywhere near you."

I shake my head pulling my eyebrows together in a worried expression. "No, it's okay. It was my fault. I wasn't thinking straight. I never should have run close to Paul, I was just worried about Bella."

"You protected her, there's nothing wrong with that." His rough thumb gently rubbed circles around my palm and I was instantly calm, though my heart was still beating rapidly.

"I need to explain some things to you," he began. "Give you some more explanation. And there is also a choice you need to make."

He senses my confusion. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything tomorrow. That is if I can see you tomorrow?"

I grin, showing the small dimple in my left cheek. "I would love that."

His shoulders relax at my words. Maybe he was thinking that I wanted nothing to do with him, right now I couldn't imagine not spending every second with him.

"I just have one question for you." I nod as I notice how beautiful his lips were, wow control yourself, Annalise. You barely know the guy.

"Do you feel what I am feeling now? This connection that makes me want to shoot myself in the foot so that I can stay longer with you."

I giggle at his words and I am instantly awestruck at his gorgeous smile.

"I hope you wouldn't result to self-harm, but surprisingly yes. I don't know why, this is all so strange but I feel so connected to you."

He grasped my hand tighter. "I'm glad you said that. Tomorrow hopefully I can clear some things up. Unfortunately, I have to go now. There are certain pack duties that I have to attend to which I can also explain tomorrow."

I'm instantly saddened at the thought of him leaving, but he leaned down to press his lips to my forehead and I'm left with the lingering heat from his lips.

He leaves and I instantly feel like something's missing. I wish I could make sense of it all. After he left, the soreness and pain came back in my stomach. A new headache started and soon a nurse came back to give me new medication.

Charlie and Bella helped me out of the hospital in a wheelchair and soon we were back at the house. They helped me up to our room and settled me in my bed. After seeing that I was alright, Charlie left me in Bella's care.

We sat for a few moments in silence before I spoke.

"What did you want to tell me?"

She shifted, clutching her pajamas in her hand. "We probably shouldn't get into to it now. I don't want to upset you."

I try to sit up, wincing as I clutch my stomach. Bella moves to help me, but I wave her away.

"I'm fine. Trust me. I might be a little sore, but I want to hear what you have to say."

Bella took a deep breath. "It has to do along the lines of werewolves. What if I told you that they weren't the only supernatural creatures out there."

I laugh. "What, are you going to tell me that unicorns and mermaids exist as well?"

I stopped when I saw her expression.

"Not exactly. Edward, my ex-boyfriend, and his family are vampires or cold ones as the werewolves apparently call them."

"What!?" I exclaim, eyes growing wide. "You mean to tell me that there are vampires, and you were DATING one of them?"

She cringed at my tone. "Yes. I was. Edward tried to keep it from me, but I found out and yet, I didn't care. They are different from other vampires, they only drank the blood of animals and not humans. It gave them certain control which allowed them to be around other humans without going crazy. That is, until my eighteenth birthday party when I accidentally sliced my finger and their newest addition to the family tried to kill me. Edward decided it was best that they weren't in my life, so he left with his family, taking all of the memorabilia we shared with him, and it's been miserable ever since."

I can't believe all that she's been through. No wonder she was a wreck when Charlie called. To lose someone you love and not even be allowed to have any memories. I was starting to understand the adrenaline junky part as well.

"That's not all." I looked at her again as she continued. "There are other vampires out there, bad vampires who drink human blood. Last spring, when I was dating Edward a coven of three came to Forks. One of them became obsessed with me and tracked me to Phoenix and nearly killed me if it wasn't for Edward rescuing me. I was in the hospital with the story that I fell down the stairs and broke a window at a hotel, but it was close."

She rubbed her arm where I saw a faint crescent scar.

"And a couple weeks ago, I was visited by another vampire who was from that coven and he tried to kill me, but the werewolves showed up and killed him but not before he told me that the last vampire from that coven was angry and plotting to kill me. He said she was out in the woods waiting for me and I've been terrified ever since."

"Oh my gosh, that's terrible! Bella, what have you been doing?"

She shuddered. "I've been waiting for her to come for me and hoping that she leaves you and Charlie alone." A tear falls down her cheek and I begin to grasp how truly alone Bella has felt since Edward left.

"You should tell Jacob. I bet he can help, maybe they've already found her and taken care of her. At least he can be aware that she might be trying to kill you."

She nodded solemnly. "You're right. I'm just glad you know and aren't freaking out. I was terrified when I sawyou in a pool of blood. It confirmed all my nightmares of the people I care about dying."

I smile weakly. "Well, I'm still here so your nightmares aren't true. And I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

 _I cut this chapter here because I didn't want too many large conversations in one chapter. Next up, Sam time and some explanations for Annalise!_

 _Please Review and let me know what you think._


	5. Chapter 5

_Here's Chapter 5! Thank you for all the positive reviews, they have been helping me to stay motivated._

 _The next chapter will be up either later today or tomorrow morning._

 _Merry Christmas!_

 **Chapter 5**

The next day Bella set off to get some answers from Jacob. Charlie was out fishing after checking that I was alright.

Despite the doctor's warning. I got up out of bed and made myself presentable for the day. I was very sore and had slight bouts of pain, yet I was determined to at least move downstairs so I can get a small change. Having the house to myself was nice, for a short while but I found myself distracted in light of all that was happening. Vampires and werewolves, hunters and prey, it was overwhelming. I hoped that Jacob would be able to help as I only got a small glimpse at Bella's fear last night.

After tidying the kitchen, I propped myself up on the catch with _Jane Eyre_ , my favorite novel. I wished there was a piano I could play, but sadly Charlie didn't have one so I had to settle for reading.

I didn't mind much, and I soon lost myself in the novel until a knock on the door pulled me back to my senses. After a brief struggle to get up off the couch, I walk gently over to the door trying to figure out who it could be.

I opened the door to see…

"Sam!" I exclaim, seeing him wearing jeans and a flannel standing on my doorstep, looking incredible.

He gave me a giant smile and I felt the familiar butterflies in my stomach.

"Hey, Annalise. I just wanted to stop by and see how you're feeling."

I step aside. "Please come in."

He followed me to the living room and we sat down on the couch, he watched me carefully as I winced trying to sit down.

"How are you feeling?"

I gave a small smile. "I'm doing better."

"Shouldn't you be confined to bed?"

I chuckle. "Possibly, but I didn't want to be stuck in bed alone on a Saturday. I felt good enough to move around the house."

"As long as you're not hurting yourself. Do you think we could talk about some things?"

I remember his eagerness yesterday and nod.

"Annalise, what I'm about to say might shock you, but I need you to hear it so then you can make your choice. You know we are werewolves. I was the first one turned, and I was alone for several weeks, unable to phase back because I didn't even realize what I am. The elders finally found me and helped me. They taught me the stories, showed me how to control my anger, and gave me purpose in my life. The werewolf gene can only be passed down through direct bloodline, and while I never knew my father, he was of Quilette descent."

I was fascinated as he told me the story, but I sensed a deep sadness coming from him as he continued.

"Even with the elders, I was struggling. I had this major secret and I couldn't tell anyone, not my mom or my girlfriend at the time–"

I felt a huge weight to my chest when he said the word, girlfriend. So maybe he was still with her?

He shook his head, sensing my pain. "After a while, others phased and I wasn't alone. Paul, Jared and I were a pack and I felt my purpose grow. I had a new family, yet there was always something missing."

I automatically shifted closer to him, desperate for his words.

He took a breath. "Here's what I'm afraid to tell you. The Quilette descendants are designed to pass down the gene from generation to generation, and to help as a beautiful gift we are sometimes blessed with imprinting."

"Imprinting?" The word felt foreign in my mouth. "What does that mean?"

His deep chocolate eyes met mine and left me feeling breathless. When I look at him, I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. My head is light and my heart is ready to burst out of my chest.

"Imprinting means when one finds their soulmate. Their perfect half, the one designed exactly for them. It's not simply attraction, its inexplicably pure devotion, purpose, meaning, love…"

I felt my breath catch in my chest. He reached out and grabbed my hands with his, his warm skin sending swirls up my arms.

"I know this is all coming so fast, but when I saw you yesterday, running towards Bella as Paul was starting to shift, my world stopped. Everything I once knew was gone. I could think of nothing else except how beautiful you are, how I love every small detail I could find: the way your hair was flowing, the flush of your skin, the curve of your lips, and I would do everything in my power to keep you safe. And when I saw Paul slice through your skin.."

He trailed off as he began to shake while I sat in shock at his words. My mind attempting to take in everything he said. Soulmate? Perfect half? I was never a big believer in love, and yesterday I would have scoffed at the thought, but now? With everything I'm feeling, now?

"I imprinted on you, Annalise. There is no other than I will ever love, no other I will ever want. You are everything. I will kill anything that wishes you harm, I will keep you safe, you shall never need to fear me, that is if you'll have me."

My body was still sluggish from the medicine.

"Have you?"

He looked pained. "You don't have to accept the imprinting. You could choose to walk away, live your life, and I will accept that. I would act as your protector but keep my distance." He disposition changed, shifting to fierce, raw emotion. "But if you do choose me, nothing will keep me from you and you shall be mine forever and I, yours. I would do anything for you."

I remained silent, not because I was disturbed, but because I could visualize everything, him loving me, me loving him, us being together and finding that completeness.

My silence must have misled him, as he dropped my hand and pain flashed through his eyes.

"You don't have to decide now. Maybe you should take some time to–"

"No!" I all but tackle him as I throw my arms around him, taking him completely by surprise. I waste no time crashing my lips to his and I knew that my life would never be the same without him. He fills me, give me life and I couldn't spend one more minute without him.

He instantly reacts, grabbing my hips and pulling me closer as his lips crash against mine in a way that sends shivers down my spine.

We continue to kiss for several minutes, and I notice how gentle he is with me, especially around my torso.

When he finally pulls away, I am in bliss and missing his lips at the same time. He laughs.

"That was wonderful, but I can hear Bella coming up the driveway and I don't think you want her seeing you like this."

I nodded, still in la la land from his kisses when I noticed that I am still sitting on his lap with his warm arms around my waist.

Quickly shifting, the door opened and Bella walked in, stopping when she saw Sam and I sitting on the couch together.

"Oh, hi Sam. I didn't realize you were here."

Sam stood up, leaving me on the couch. "Hello, Bella. I was just checking on Annalise to see how she is feeling. I better get going."

He gave me a light kiss on the forehead and walked out, his powerful frame leaving sight as Bella closed the door and rushed over to me.

"What the heck was that?" She shrieked. "Did he just kiss you?"

I giggled at Bella's bewilderment.

"He did. Bella, I don't even know how to describe it, but I love him. He's the one and I've only known him for a total of twenty-four hours."

She gave me a weird look so I tried explaining what imprinting to her.

"I heard Jacob mention it a couple times, but that's supposed to be rare, like super rare. I can't believe Sam imprinted on you. What are you going to do, move in with him?"

I frowned. I hadn't thought about it, while I wanted to be with him 24/7, I couldn't exactly drop my old life. What would my mom think?"

"I guess we'll have to see. It's all so new, I need time to figure some things out. But how are you, how was your time with Jacob?"

Fear filled her face. "Annalise, I was right, Victoria is looking for me. Jacob says they've been running rounds trying to catch her almost every night. She hasn't broken through yet, but she's persistent."

I'm stunned. "What does that mean? Is the pack gonna take care of it?

Bella nodded. "Jacob's probably updating Sam as we speak, he said that now that they know her target, they can switch strategies to try and lure her in so they can catch her."

My mouth went dry at the thought of Sam facing off with the vampire. Clearly, Bella thought the same about Jacob.

When Charlie came home, Bella and I were unnaturally quiet, but he didn't say anything. As Bella stayed downstairs to finish some homework, I hobbled upstairs to get ready for me. I paused when I noticed a small note on my bed and the cracked window at the far end of the room.

I carefully picked up the note and read it.

 _Thank you for giving me the most amazing day of my life. Sleep well and I will see you tomorrow._

 _Love,_

 _Sam_

A large smiled filled my face and I carefully tucked the note in the small journal I kept by my bed. Laying down, I couldn't help but wonder how I got so lucky. I couldn't wait to see Sam again and learn more about the man of my dreams.

 _*Please Review_


	6. Chapter 6

_Here is Chapter Six. Sorry for the late post, but I was occupied with other things yesterday and didn't have time to write._

 _This chapter is focused on Sam and Annalise's relationship, and yes, it does have some steamy scenes but I promise to keep everything clean._

 _I am choosing to give them more physical interactions because I feel that's how an imprinted pair should react, faster than a normal relationship but I do appreciate all of the reviews and helpful suggestions. Please continue doing so and it helps me see where I want to go with this story._

 _Anyway, hope you enjoy!_

 **Chapter 6**

The next few days passed by quickly. Charlie wasn't convinced that I was ready to leave the house so he made sure that I was house confined.

Sam would come over every day while Charlie was at work and Bella at school. We would talk for hours about our lives, dreams, etc. I learned that he lived alone in a small house he built himself close to his mom's, his favorite breakfast food is muffins and eggs, his favorite color is blue (like my eyes which made me blush) and when he wasn't doing alpha duties, he worked at a local repair shop. I thought it was incredibly sexy visualizing him fixing cars.

Most of the time he wanted to know about me: what my favorite scent was, what calmed me down, what words I reacted to the most. I should have been more controlled with my emotions, but I was in bliss spending time with him. When we weren't kissing, he would lie down next to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and I would lean against his broad chest. I never wanted to move.

The only subject we seemed to disagree on was vampires. He hated them with a burning passion, I could sense his rage and aggression as he said the cold ones were his natural enemies.

Me, I was on a different page. Though I had never met any vampires in person, I couldn't believe that all vampires were bad. From Bella's stories of the Cullens, they seemed sweet and genuine, besides the minor mishap at Bella's birthday, and I couldn't believe they could be evil.

He sensed my tenderness on the subject and would always change to a different topic, but I knew he still kept his perspective.

It wasn't until a week and a half later that Charlie gave me the okay to leave the house. I hadn't told him about Sam yet, I didn't know how he would react so I decided to wait until I had the chance to properly introduce him to Sam.

Today I would finally be able to go to La Push. Bella and Jacob were still hanging out a lot since I started being with Sam. I didn't think my relationship with her changed, she just decided to give me some space. I hope she wasn't feeling abandoned.

When I walked out of the house, I smiled at the sight of Sam waiting for me in his black truck. With a casual tee and shorts, he looked like a million bucks. He got out as I walked closer, greeting me at his truck as he kissed me passionately on the lips.

When we finally broke apart, he smiled at me. "Hi, beautiful."

I gave him another quick peck on the lips. "Hey."

He grabs my hand and leads me around to the passenger side, opening the door so I can enter. As we make the short drive, his right hand is intertwined with mine as he drove with his left. It seemed silly, the constantly needing to be touching or being near to each other, yet I couldn't help myself. I just couldn't get enough of him.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked him.

He looked at me. "Well, I was hoping to show you my place, and show you around some of my favorite places on the Rez."

I gave a soft smile. "That sounds wonderful."

He squeezed my hand. "I couldn't imagine anyone else I'd rather have with me right now."

As we casually chatted away, my thoughts drifted to Sam's place. It was fun to imagine what it would look like, would it be a total man cave since he lived alone? Or would it be messy? I couldn't see Sam like that. Still, I daydreamed what it would be like to live with Sam, waking up next to him in bed, making breakfast together, having him come home from alpha duties to be with me, it made me positively giddy.

We decided it was best to see his house last, as we would be probably distracted once we arrived, so we pulled up to the cliffs where I first saw him as Bella and Jacob were riding their motorcycles. Was that really only a few weeks ago?  
Sam took my hand and lead me out on the top of the cliff, and I couldn't help but take in the view. Though it was still cloudy, looking out at the ocean, I noticed a few areas where the sun broke through the clouds and left sparkly reflections against the dark waves. Looking out at the vast ocean, I felt small in comparison to the world. It made me think about how small and insignificant I was compared to everyone else, and how my whole life could be different. If I hadn't come to visit Bella and stayed home in Oregon, I would have never met Sam. What would have happened? Would I have met him a different day, later in life or would I have completely missed the best thing that ever happened to me, the very person who filled the gaps in my heart that I didn't even notice were missing? What would he have been doing? Throwing his time into his alpha duties, dating another lucky girl that he would spend time with? I felt nauseous at the thought.

Sam leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.

"What are you thinking about?"

I pressed against his shoulder as I explained my theory, which he listened to in silence.

Once I finished, he pulled me closer until he was looking directly into my eyes.

"I would never have stopped searching until I found you." I shivered at the depth of his words. "You are my life, Annalise. It would have been a miserable existence without you and I couldn't even bear to think of one day without you."

I stood on my tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"I'm just so grateful, I don't deserve you. It's only been a few weeks but I've never felt more complete in my life."

He gave a soft laugh as I turned back around, pressing my back against his chest as he wrapped his strong arms around me as we gazed out at the water.

"I couldn't say better words, you complete me."

We should in comfortable silence for the next few minutes, taking in the moment. I could have happily stayed there forever, cuddling up against Sam's warm body. He explained to me a while ago about some of his special features, including the decreased aging and warm temperature.

"Come," he whispered huskily in my ear. "There's something I want to show you."

I let him lead me away from the cliffs, expecting him to take me back to the car, but to my surprise, he led me past his truck and into the woods away from the dirt road.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

He paused and I realized we were in a small clearing.

Turning to me, he looked nervous. I realized he was nervous for me, not himself.

"I thought it was time I showed you who I am, or at least who the other half of me is."

"Ohhh," I said, realizing where he was going with this. "You're gonna shift in front of me?"

He nodded.

"I'm going to go out of sight to shift because my clothes don't shift with me, but when I come back, I'll be a wolf."

I stepped forward to place a hand on his chest, meeting his dark eyes and seeing his fear of how I would react, fear that I would change my mind about him once I saw his other side.

I lean up and give him a kiss.

"I'm ready," I whispered to him.

He kissed me back passionately before turning and walking out of sight.

I shifted from foot to foot as I waited alone. How would I react? I had seen wolves before, living in Oregon but they didn't seem like anything too dangerous. I tried to envision Sam's massive body morphing into the small lean body of a wolf, it was interesting to think about.

I froze when I heard a subtly growl coming from the shadows. Turning around, I gasped when I saw a huge, no, massive shape appear.

Thick black fur covered its powerful body and I finally noticed it was a wolf.

The wolf stepped closer to me, its movements slow and precise. I looked past its sharp white teeth to see its deep chocolate eyes and I instantly saw Sam's eyes, still saw the same fear he held a few minutes ago.

I stepped towards the creature until I was a few feet away. It gave a small growl, not out of anger, but as a silent warning that he was still dangerous and still powerful. I could feel the deep red scars on my stomach and felt the pain Paul's attack caused me. But this wasn't Paul.

I stepped forward without fear and reached my hand out to touch his thick fur. Stepping closer, I placed my hands on either side of its face and looked straight into its eyes as it towered over me.

"Still beautiful," I whispered as I leaned up and placed a kiss on its head.

I was rewarded with a giant, sloppy lick to the face, leaving sticky goo dripping from my chin.

"Sam!" I giggled, wiping my face with my sleeve.

He jumped around in a childlike manner, licking me again and I fell to the group in a fit of giggles. He laid down next to me and pressed his side against mine and I leaned over to rest against his soft fur. I could hear the steady beat of his heart and felt the warmth radiating from his skin and I couldn't have felt safer or more comfortable.

He remained that way for a couple more minutes before getting up, causing me to shift from my comfortable position.

He acknowledged my protests with a soft chuckling sound and quickly ran back into the forest. A few minutes later, Sam reappeared fully clothed and I jumped into his arms, kissing him.

"That was amazing! Sam, you're magnificent!"

He gave a deep laughed and kissed me passionately.

"No, you're the one whose magnificent. I was so afraid you would reject me or be frightened of me, but you weren't. Now I really know how amazingly perfect you are."

I placed my hand against his cheek. "I could never be afraid of you. I love you. You are my life."

I had my legs wrapped around his torso and his hands were around my back, holding me up. I wrapped my arms around his head and breathed in his deep, woodsy scent.

He carried me back to the car, leaving soft kisses on my lips, cheek, and neck and I continued to wrap my arms around him. We drove back down the dirt road and on the main road until we reached another small dirt road that led to a secluded area. I grinned as he pulled into the area and stopped in front of an adorable wood cabin.

"Is this yours?" I asked softly.

He smirked. "Would you like to see it?"

I nod eagerly.

We walked up and I admired the stone path that led to the front of the house with small bushes planted on either side. Sam might be a man, but he has taste which I appreciated.

We held hands as he opened the front door and I gasped once I saw the inside. Everything was a wood theme, with beautifully carved tables and couches with thick cushions on them. There were wooden carvings hung in various spots on the wall, some with small bits of crystal glass attached to them which cast a rainbow effect against the floor. There were large windows in the back of the house which opened up to show the lush forest behind it. It was perfect.

"Sam," I began. "It's absolutely beautiful! How on earth did you afford all this?"

He was only two years older than me.

He grinned sheepishly while running a hand through his hair.

"I actually built it."

I froze, slowly turning around to face him.

"You…built this?"

He nodded. "I bought the land cheaply off an old friend and started building since I was sixteen since I knew I didn't want to live with my mother."

I ran a finger over the ornate designs of the wood.

"And the furniture?"

He wrapped his hands around me, leaning down to whisper in my eye.

"I built that too, woodwork is kind of my hobby."

I turned around, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Kind of?" I questioned.

He laughed, pulling me close until I was pressed up against his chest.

"Okay, maybe it's more than a small hobby, but I really do enjoy it."

I was speechless as I stared at him, this man was incredible. Everything he did truly amazed me, his conversations, showing me his wolf form, and now this?

"You know," I whispered. "That's incredibly sexy."

He gave a deep growl from his chest.

"Don't say that Annalise, it puts too many thoughts in my head."

I slowly trail my hands up his chest until they are wrapped around his neck.

"I'll say it again. You're incredibly sexy–"

He cut me off by crashing his lips into mine. I moan as he hoisted me up in his arms, me wrapping my legs around his waist and he carries me into what I assume is the bedroom while he kissed my neck.

He lowered me on the bed and gently positioned himself above me. I leaned up to continue kissing him as I noticed the softness of the comforter beneath me. He reaches out with his hand and finds the bottom of my tee shirt, sliding his warm hand underneath over my scars.

I feel him tense with anger, but I pull him closer and distract him by flipping him over so that I'm the one straddling him as I lifted my tee shirt up over my head, exposing my red, lacy bra.

He growled with lust and placed his hands on my hips, admiring my soft curves as he rubbed small circles with his thumbs on my skin.

I am in bliss, and I lean down on top of him until I'm pressed against his chest before I began slowly kissing him again, nibbling on his bottom lip playfully with my teeth.

We are interrupted when the phone suddenly rang from his kitchen.

He growled as he kissed me harder, ignoring the sound. But the phone rang a second time, and then a third until finally, he got up in frustration.

"I'm gonna kill whoever is calling me."

I giggled as I relaxed back into the bed, letting my rapid heartbeat calm down with some deep breaths.

I heard his angry voice as he argued with whoever was on the phone. Apparently, something big was happening.

I propped myself up on my elbows as he came back into the room, his body tense and his lines pulled into a thin line.

"You should probably get your shirt back on. That was Jacob on the phone. One of the Cullens returned and talked with Bella. Jacob didn't give clear details but they told her that Edward was trying to kill himself so she ran off to Italy to try and save him.

"What!?" I exclaimed, jumping off the bed and hastily picking up my shift. As I tried to walk past Sam out to the kitchen, he placed a hand on my waist stopping me.

I turned to face him, slightly surprised.

"I just wanted to say that was one of the most amazing experiences of my life."

I saw the raw emotion in his eyes and I quickly kiss him on the lips.

"We'll just have to finish it later. Let's deal with Bella first."

He just gave a small smile as he followed me out of the room.

 ** _*Please Review!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_Here is Chapter Seven! Hope you guys enjoy it! Please continue letting me know what your thoughts are or if you have any suggestions._

 **Chapter 7**

Sam dropped me back off at my place, giving me swift instructions not to leave home. Since the Cullens had returned, or at least returned for a short while, he had to go back to the Rez to make sure the treaty wasn't violated. As he drove away, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest. I missed him already.

As I walked in, I found Charlie sitting on the couch nursing a beer.

"Charlie?" I asked, walking cautiously towards him.

He turned to me. "Did you know about any of this?" The sorrow in his eyes was deep.

I shook my head, dropping down next to him on the couch.

"I should have been paying more attention, or at least been here. I was hanging out with a friend I made at the Rez today and wasn't with her."

He looked back to the basketball game. "It wasn't your fault. Once Bella's set her mind to something, there's nothing that can stop her. If you were here, she would have found some way to either lock you up or convince you to come with her."

I smiled weakly. Feeling a buzz, I pulled out my phone and saw a series of new messages from Sam, wondering how I was doing. After giving a quick glance at Charlie who was invested in the game, I retreated to my room.

Hitting the call button, I waited a few seconds before I heard his familiar voice.

 _"_ _Are you okay?"_

I sat down on my bed. "Ya, I'm fine. Bella's gone. She really did go to Italy."

I heard him softly growl in the phone and I sighed, leaning back against my pillows.

 _"_ _Should I come down there?"_

I paused at his question, thinking to Charlie downstairs. If he found out that there was a man in my bedroom, he would probably have a heart attack, or simply pull out his rifle and start firing shots without question. You have to give it to him, Charlie could be intimidating when he wanted to be. Yet the thought of him going up against Sam was a no-brainer.

"You probably should stay there, Charlie's home and he's not happy at the moment. I'd hate to cause any more issues."

He was silent for a moment, and I know he was pondering coming anyway so I had to distract him.

"How's Jacob?"

More loud sighs. _"He's angry, furious even and I can't blame him. Bella's never been one to care for her own safety but to freely go to a large vampire invested city to save her suicidal boyfriend is a bit far, even for her."_

I felt panic at the thought of Bella. Was she safe? I was tempted to text her but knew it would be futile. She had other things on her mind.

Sam and I talked for another half hour, sharing little things and I was brought back to my day spent with him. I felt a light blush come to my cheeks at the thought of his house, that moment was something that I would remember forever.

We had to cut our call short due to pack duties. Sam wanted to do runs to ensure that Victoria had not gotten through to discover Bella's disappearance. The thought of him running out in the dark with a dangerous vampire left a heavy pit in my stomach, but after heavy reassurance of safety from his side, I finally hung up the phone, lying in bed and staring miserably at the wall. Two people that I cared most about were out doing dangerous activities while I was stuck inside.

The next day there was no word from Bella, and Sam had been out running perimeter checks all night so he sent me a quick text this morning before he passed out to get some sleep. Needless to say, I spent the day worried, angry and frustrated at my lack of control with the situation. Charlie was feeling the same way so we ending up watching old football games eating pizza in the living room.

When Sam finally woke up, he went straight back to alpha duties and left me in the unknown. It wasn't until the next evening that I finally heard some news. Bella was coming home, and she wasn't alone. She texted Charlie she would be arriving in half an hour with Edward, and I was left nervously pacing my floor waiting for her arrival.

So now I was finally going to meet the infamous Edward. A vampire. I didn't know why the thought left my hands clamp and cold.

When Bella entered the house, my first instinct was to hug her. When I had my arms around her, I let my breathing relax knowing that she was safe. It wasn't until after that I finally noticed her company.

Edward was beautiful. Like male model beautiful with flawless pale skin and dark wispy hair that brushed against his forehead. I could see why Bella was attracted to him, but he personally left no appeal to me.

He stared at me and smirked, which left me curiously tilting my head, wondering what he was smirking for.

"Hi." I stepped forward, reaching out my hand. "I'm Annalise."

He shook it and I gasped at how cold his fingers were. I personally preferred warm and wondered how Bella could cuddle up to him at night.

"Edward. Nice to meet you."

I stepped back as Charlie rushed forward angrily, giving his best dad speech about making smart decisions and being responsible.

My phone buzzed and I saw that Sam was calling me. Answering, I held the phone up to my ear.

"Sam?"

 _"_ _Are they back?"_ I was shocked at his voice. It was angry and stern.

"The Cullens?" I whispered, dropping my voice as I moved into the kitchen.

 _"_ _Yes,_ " he said, trying to control his voice. " _Are they back?_ "

"Yes, Bella just arrived with Edward and–"

"I need you to come over to my place, now. I can't have you over there with them when I can't protect you."

"But, Sam. Edward won't harm me. Bella's told me that they are good, and don't drink human blood."

 _"Please."_ He pleaded with me. This wasn't Alpha Sam speaking, this was the Sam who imprinted on me and my heart broke at the sound of his voice. I never wanted to hear him sound like that.

 _"_ _I can't bear to have you somewhere where I can't protect you. If I go to your place, I cross the treaty line and break the treaty, but I will if you are not over here in fifteen minutes. Please, Annalise. I need you here."_

I'm moved by Sam's protectiveness and was worried about his safety if he came over to the house, so I walked out to the living room. Charlie was still yelling at Bella as Edward whispered something in her ear.  
"Bella?" I interrupted. "Something has come up and I desperately need to use your car. Can I borrow it?"

She nodded instantly. "The keys are in the drawer."

I felt a rush of relief as I grabbed the keys and raced out the door. Thankfully Charlie was still too mad at Bella to notice my disappearance.

As I drove past the treaty line, I saw the dark shape of Sam as he howled upon seeing me. It was late at night so he was easily concealed in the brush. He ran by my car as I drove to his house, pausing behind for just a second as he phased back before running up as I exited Bella's truck.

He pulled me in a bone crushing hug as I wrapped my arms around his waist, desperate for his warmth. I had missed him desperately over the last couple days.

"I was so worried about you," he whispered, softly stroking my hair.

"I'm here. I'm okay."

He doesn't let go of me for several more minutes as we stand there in his driveway in the dark. Finally, he let go only to grab my hand and lead me inside. As we sat down in the kitchen, I watched as he fixed me a cup of tea. I knew he was still tense from earlier, yet I didn't know what to say so I remained silent.

As he set the cup down in front of me, he spoke.

"I don't want you staying at Bella's anymore. Now that the Cullen's are back, she will be with them a lot."

I frown. "I understand your concern, but don't you think you're being a little dramatic? If Bella's safe, then shouldn't I be safe as well?"

His shoulders tense as he growls, "Bella's not safe. She's already gone through countless life-threatening injuries and it's luck that she's still here."

I felt defensive at the sound of my cousin. "Give her a little more credit, she's not dumb. I trust her and she trusts them so that counts for something."

Sam stepped closer and grabbed my hand, rubbing his thumb against my palm which sent shivers down my back.

"If you stay at Bella's, I can't protect you. If anything happens to you, you're on the Cullen's land. I can't even visit you."

Sadness crept into me, it's been hard enough to be away from Sam, and the thought of him not visiting me made it all the more depressing.

"What am I suppose to do? Go back to Oregon? I don't exactly have anywhere else to stay."

"You could stay with me?" I perked up at his suggestion as he continued. "Come live here and we can see each other every day without any conflicts or if you want to stay someplace else I'm sure Billy wouldn't mind."

Thoughts swirled in my mind as I analyzed the new option. "I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else except with you, but how? Charlie would never let me leave especially now that Bella's run off to Italy. And my mom? What would she say?"

He let out a frustrated huff. "I don't know. But you are turning eighteen next week which makes you an adult, so ultimately, it's up to you where you want to live or stay."

He chuckled at my confusion. Was it already my birthday? I had been so preoccupied with Sam and Bella and the whole supernatural thing I had failed to keep up with the date.

He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.

"Please think about it. Otherwise, we're gonna have a big problem about the treaty cause there's nothing that's going to keep me from you."

I kissed him passionately, before playfully popping up out of my seat.

"Okay, well I'm tired. So I'll just take your bed and you can crash on the couch."

I made a big scene of dramatically walking towards his room and I catch his shocked expression out of the corner of my eye.

Grinning deviously, I blow a little kiss. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

He was next to me in a second, grabbing both my shoulders.

"You can't be serious!"

I laughed and rushed into the room, giggling as he followed and yanked me in his arms before throwing me onto the bed. We kiss for the next several minutes, the stress of the day gradually wearing off as I let myself solely focus on Sam. I finally curled up against him, my back pressing against his hard chest as he draped a large arm over me protectively. As I doze off, I couldn't help but think of how perfect this was, right here, right now and I knew there was no chance I would ever not choose Sam.

 ***Please Review**


	8. Chapter 8

_Here is Chapter eight! Sorry I haven't been keeping up with posting, I only have a week left of break and I've been spending a lot of time on a large art project I'm working on but I will continue to put time into this story._

 _Just so you're aware, this chapter concludes New Moon in the series and the next chapter will start in Eclipse. I plan on taking this story all the way to Breaking Dawn but we will see how I feel and where I want to end off._

 _Please continue leaving reviews and letting me know your opinions. And I hope you enjoy!_

 **Chapter 8**

I woke to a heavy hand pinning me down on the bed. I laid there for a moment, remembering why I was there as flashes of yesterday came rushing back in my mind.

I tried to shift out from underneath Sam's arm, carefully moving my body but was stopped when Sam tightened his grip and pulled me closer, squishing me against his body.

I giggled. "Sam?"

He replied with a low moan, shifting so he was facing me with a big goofy grin on his face.

"Don't get up," he whispered huskily. "I want you to stay right here forever."

I gave him a kiss on the nose before proceeding to wrestle my way out of the bed to walk into the kitchen. I laughed at his protests while I began fixing a pot of coffee.

A few minutes later, he stumbled out of the bedroom, hair messy with no shirt on and I couldn't help but admire the view.

"What do you have going on today?" I asked as he poured himself some coffee and sat down.

"We need to reroute our perimeter checks now that the Cullens have returned. I also need to evaluate if the red-haired vampire is still a danger. She hasn't been seen in a week and is no doubt lying low, but I don't want to underestimate her."

I listened in silence as Sam rattled off his plans.

"And I'll have to get some work done at the shop to keep up appearances." He paused, looking at me. "I don't have to do any of this if you need me."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to head back to Charlie's, clean up, and probably spend the day keeping myself busy."

He frowned. "I don't like you back there. Can't you stay here for today?"

"Sam," I said, placing a hand on my hip. "I can't hide out here forever. Besides, Bella will be needing her truck back and Charlie doesn't even know I'm here. I need to go back."

He stood up, grabbing my hips and pulling me off the bench closer to him. "What about what we talked about last night?"

I gave a slight chuckle. "I'm not eighteen yet, and I still have to talk to my mom to see what she feels. She is my mother and her opinion does matter."

He gave a slight pout. "And I suppose there's nothing I can do to help convince you?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss.

"No, but don't worry, I don't need much convincing. I promise I'll try my hardest."

As Sam got ready for the day, I familiarized myself with his house and couldn't help but admire the beauty in the detail and interior. Everything was so thought out, and I felt Sam's passion through the intricate carvings of my wood.

Sam found me on the couch after he got ready, sitting lazily hugging a pillow.

After stern instructions, I finally was able to pry myself out of Sam's house and drive back in Bella's truck. It wasn't that Sam was trying to baby me or be in control, it was that he feared for me. I sensed the overwhelming raw emotion as he held me in his arms the night before or how he kissed a little longer saying goodbye, he cared for me and the thought of me being out of his sight caused him to go insane. Not that I blamed him, the thought of Sam out wrestling evil vampires made me nauseous. If I lost him, I wouldn't be able to continue without half of my heart be ripped out of my body.

Bella wasn't home when I arrived and Charlie had gone out fishing with Billy so I was alone. Placing Bella's keys on the counter, I sauntered upstairs and laid down on my bed. Holding my phone out, I scrolled to a familiar contact and pressed call.

My heart beat rapidly in my chest as the phone answered and a voice answered on the other side.

"Mom?"

The call went as expected, the first twenty minutes were spent catching up on life, Bella, Charlie, her life back home in Oregon. I began telling her about Sam as she quietly listened.

"Mom, I'm in love with him. I've never felt this strong of a connection before and I could spend the rest of my life with him."

My mom paused on the other side, deep in thought.

"Annalise, sweetie. I didn't raise a fool. I know you well enough that I know you are telling the truth. If you are confident in your feelings with Sam, then who am I to tell you differently?"

My heart swelled with love for my mother. She really was my rock.

"Thank you, Mom." I choked out. "Speaking of which, I am falling in love with Forks and I want to stay here, but things are pretty crowded at Charlie's, especially now that Bella's boyfriend is back and Sam lives alone in a house so I was wondering if you would be alright if I could stay with him…"

I waited for the inevitable disapproval only to be met with silence.

"Mom?" I asked again.

"Ya, I'm here," my mom replied. "Honey, that's pretty serious. Are you sure you want to do that? If you guys break up or something happens…"

"Mom," I cut off. "I can't explain much but Sam and I aren't going to break up. This is real, it goes beyond normal affection."

More silence.

"Sweetie, if this is what you want, then I'll stand by you."

I let out a huge sigh of relief. This is what I have been dreading all morning and it was finally over.

"Thank you, Mom. I really appreciate it. The only other favor I have to ask is if you would call Charlie and explain that you are supporting me on this decision."

She laughed. "I'll try and reason with my brother-in-law. But maybe now it's my turn to tell you something."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"I've actually had a spring romance of my own."

My mouth dropped. "WHAT?"

She giggled from the other side, actually giggled!

"Well, since you've been gone, I've been going out a lot more and I met a nice man a couple weeks ago at a social gathering, and we've gone on a couple dates here and there and I really like him."

"Mom…that's amazing!" I exclaim. "I'm so happy for you! I'd love to meet him sometime soon."

"That would be wonderful, dear."

We spent the next couple minutes going in detail of both our guys and I loved hearing how happy she was. After hanging up with my mother, I looked around at Bella's bedroom and was suddenly glad I didn't have many belongings.

I was still sitting on the bed when Bella walked in. She looked happy, there was a faint glow in her cheeks that she never had before when I first arrived.

"Hey."

She looked at me. "Hey, Annalise. How did last night go? Is everything okay?"

I patted the empty place next to me and waited until she sat down. Looking her in the eye, I spoke.

"Oh, Bella. Yesterday was wonderful. It was so good to see Sam again and spend more than a couple of hours together, it felt right."

She smiled. "I'm glad you're happy. Edward heard your conversation with Sam yesterday and was sad that Sam didn't think you were safe, though he understood perfectly.

I felt a pang in my heart. "I know Sam is strict, but his motives are pure and he was acting on defense rather than rationality. But the Cullens already have a full plate on their hands with you without having to worry about me."

She laughed and playfully hit me on the arm.

"That's probably true, but I hope you don't think the Cullens are dangerous. I promise they would never hurt you."

I took her hand in mine. "I know that, Bella. And soon I'd love to meet them, but first, there's something important I need to tell you."

She turned and waited patiently for me.

"I think…I'm gonna move in with Sam."

Her mouth dropped in shock.

"Wait, are you serious?"

I blushed. "I mean, I know it's been hard on you with me living here in your room and now that Edward's back, you guys can't be alone here and Sam can't come over because of the treaty so I think it's best that I go there. That way I can still be close to you while giving you your privacy."

She bit her lip. "I didn't force you out, did I?"

I shook my head. "I want to be with Sam. I love him and with the imprint, that bond is so much stronger. It was honestly only a matter of time."

She smiled softly. "And your mom is okay with this? I know if she's backing you up, Charlie can't give too big a fuss."

I grinned. "I talked with my mom earlier and she's gonna call Charlie and explain."

Bella threw her arms around me. "Annalise, I'm so happy for you! And I'll still be going to La Push to see Jacob so I'll see you over there. And maybe Sam can't come here, but you still can and I can introduce you to Alice and Jasper and the rest of the Cullens.  
I grinned. "That sounds amazing."

We spent the next half hour packing up my belongings. I didn't have much to begin with but it was enough.

"I know your birthday is next week," Bella began. "And Alice was wondering if she could throw you a small party? You could bring Sam but Edward and his family want to show their support of you."

Tears filled my eyes. "That sounds wonderful. I'd love to go and I'll see if Sam wants to come along. Thank you, Bella."

She helped me carry my belongings down the stairs and I noticed Charlie angrily sulking on the couch. My mom must have just gotten off the phone with him.  
"So you're moving out?" He asked grumpily.

I surprised him by throwing my arms around his neck.

"Charlie, thank you for taking such good care of me. I know you made sacrifices having me here, but I have loved every minute. And with me moving to La Push, I'll still remain close so that I can bug you and watch games together."

He relaxed under my hug, grudgingly returning the gesture.

"I still don't agree with this, but your mother gave me a mouthful so I guess I have to respect it. I met Sam a couple of times before and he's a good guy."

"I agree," I said smiling.

After talking for a couple more minutes, Bella offered to drive me over to Sam's. I decided this morning that I would surprise him about moving in so I sent him a quick text saying I was coming over which he replied to instantly and my excitement began to grow.

Bella causally chatted away, giving me details about Edward and his family and I noticed once again how happy she seemed and the healthy glow that was in her skin. It made me happy seeing her like this.

As we pulled into the familiar driveway, Sam was waiting on the front porch and I started bouncing in my seat.

Bella chuckled. "Calm yourself, he's right there."

Exiting the car, I ran forward and hurled myself in his arms as he picked me up and spun me around.

"Bella," he finally said after setting me back down. "Good to see you."

She gave a small smile. "Good to see you too."

He then noticed the various suitcases placed in Bella's truck.

"Annalise, what's this?"

I gave him a giant grin. "So, I had a conversation with my mom this morning, and she fully supports me moving in with you, so…surprise!"

He stared stunned at me as realization slowly hit him.

"You're really gonna move in with me?"

I nodded slowly and he reacted by crashing his lips to mine in a soul-searing kiss. Once he finished, he wasted no time in grabbing my two suitcases from Bella's truck and placing them in the house.

"Would you like to come inside?" He asked Bella politely, as she had been standing awkwardly and watching.

"No thanks," she said smirking. "I'll come by later after you two have gotten used to living together."

I rushed forward to give her a big hug. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. Just promise me you'll be careful."

I give her a soft kiss on the cheek and reply, "I will."

As she drove away, my focus turned toward Sam and I noticed how he was staring at me with those deep, smoldering eyes.

I walked slowly towards him, lightly placing my hand on his chest.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

He groaned, pulling me up in his arms and racing back to the house for the second night we would spend together for the rest of our lives.

 _ ***Please Review! It only takes a second;)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey everyone! I know it has been a while since I last posted but I'm back at school now and don't have any free time to work on this. But slowly but surely I will finish this story and continue to post._

 _This chapter is a short one but I decided to stop it because I was getting into a bigger scene and wanted to save it for the next chapter._

 _But I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave a review if you have any feedback!_

 **Chapter 9**

Moving in with Sam was great. Over the next couple of days, we fell into a regular schedule. When Sam was away for work or pack duties, I would either make myself busy cleaning up the house, going into town, or wandering around the woods at the back of Sam's house.

I visited Bella often, though most of the time it was when she was visiting Jacob. Sam was still adamant that I be on the Cullen's land as little as possible while Edward also wasn't happy that Bella was on the packs land.

Secretly, I wished that both sides would just admit defeat and stop being enemies, but some things would need more time.

I was finally able to meet the full pack a few days after I moved in, and while Sam was polite and said I didn't need to make anything, I accepted the role with determination.

The pack had grown immensely in the last few months and there were now eight members. When they came over for dinner, I saw Paul for the first time since he attacked me and he walked up and formally apologized. His eyes held the guilt of what he had done and I instantly forgave him, giving him a hug for good measure.

As the boys gathered around the living room, happily munching on the muffins and eggs I made (I decided with going for breakfast for dinner), I couldn't help but admire the close bond all of them shared. Sam sat in the big recliner like the proud father while the boys tackled each other for the couch.

Jared, one of the first people to shift after Sam had also imprinted on a girl named Kim. She and I instantly bonded because we understood the depth of the imprint, and while she was a year younger than me, I already counted her as one of my closest friends.

She stood next to me in the kitchen as we watched the boys fight over the last muffins while we held our cups of tea.

"It's really nice having you around," Kim said. "Ever since I found out about Jared's secret, I've felt alone since I couldn't talk about it with anyone. Being with Jared in wonderful, but I've felt cut off from my other friends. It's just not the same when you're hiding a massive life-changing secret."

I gave a subtle laugh. "I feel that same. Granted, I didn't stay close with a lot of my high school friends, but with my mom and uncle its been hard trying to explain why Sam and I always wanted to be together."

Jared loudly called Kim over and she happily obliged and I looked at Sam who was staring at me with those deep eyes so I made my way over to him and sat down on his lap, happily snuggling up as he wrapped his arms around me.

I noticed Jacob was sitting quietly on the couch. He had been struggling a lot with the Cullen's return, especially since it took the attention of Bella. He and I had been hanging out occasionally, but I always sensed the looming sadness within.

Quil, the newest addition to the pack, was quite the jokester. As we were sitting around the living room, he began telling all of the funny stories about each pack member.

"And we all remember the first time Sam saw Annalise."

Sam shifted underneath and I gave him an amused look.

Quil laughed at Sam's expression. "I swear he didn't think of a single thing for the rest of the week. It was great for all of us, no commands whatsoever. All of us got some actual sleep."

The room erupted in laughter as each of the boys shared a time when Sam was busy daydreaming about me instead of doing alpha duties.

"Don't worry," I whispered in his ear. "I think it's incredibly sweet."

I gave him a light kiss on the forehead and he responded by kissing me possessively on the lips which earned shouts from the entire room.

The rest of the night was spent laughing and sharing stories and I sat there in joy at this new family that I suddenly had, and for that moment, everything was perfect.

Cuddling up to Sam that night, I smiled as he gently kissed my cheek and then my neck. Having this alone time with him was wonderful and he never failed to show how much he loved me.

"Is there any update on Victoria?" I asked, rolling over to face him.

He paused kissing to frown slightly. Victoria was still at large, and I know it was frustrating for him to think about it. Just yesterday he and a couple others had been chasing her as she dashed in between the treaty lines, with the Cullens on one side and the pack on the other. And they almost had her except Emmet, Edward's brother had mistakenly crossed the border and Paul got territorial so they had to stop pursuit to defend their lines.

"Nothing's improved." Sam finally muttered. "She keeps trying to switch tactics but hasn't broken through yet. If anything, she's trying less and less so maybe she'll finally give up. I'll need to leave in a little while to go run perimeters and make sure everything's in order but I'll be back by the time you wake up."

I gave a slight pouty face in mock disappointment. "You're leaving me?"

Seeing through my joke, he chuckled and passionately kissed me on the lips. "Never by choice."

I fell asleep nestled into his warm arms and dreamed about my future with Sam.

The next morning, I woke to those strong arms once again wrapping around me.

"Sam?" I asked groggily.

He leaned down to kiss me on the cheek.

I felt him lean away and I reached out and pulled him back down.

"No," I mumbled, causing him to chuckle. "Don't leave me."

He kissed me passionately. "Never leaving you, just stepping out to put on some coffee."

I stretched out on the bed, pulling my arms above my head to stretch out my tired muscles.

"I guess that's acceptable."

While Sam was in the kitchen, I slowly got out of my bed and threw some water on my face. Walking into the kitchen, I gasped to see Sam standing there with roses. There were candles lit on the counter and breakfast laying out on the table.

"Sam?" I asked slowly as he smiled widely.

"Happy Birthday, Annalise."

I run and throw my arms around him as he spins me around.

Kissing him, I smile. "Wow, thank you, Sam! This is incredible."

He leaned down to kiss my neck. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Grabbing my hand and placing his other hand over my eyes, he leads me out into the living room.

"Where are you taking me?" I giggled.

"Shhh, I'm bringing you to your birthday present."

We walked ten steps into the living room and he stood behind me, placing his arms on my hips.

"Happy Birthday, Annalise." He whispered in my ear.

I opened my eyes and gasped, bringing my hand up to my mouth.

"Sam…."

Before me stood a grand piano, standing in all its splendor in the corner of the room. Its wooden display was smoothly polished and caught the light perfectly on its soft wood.

"How did you…" I trailed off again, taking a step closer.

I looked back and loved the goofy, happy grin on his face.

"I made it."

My mouth dropped. "You made it!? Sam, I can't even begin to describe how amazing that is!"

I ran over to him and jumped into his arms.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have missed playing piano for so long now."

"Well go on." He said, setting me down. "Play it."

Grinning, I sat down and let my hand run along the intricate details of the wood. Setting my fingers gently on the keys, I took a deep breath before letting my fingers pick up the familiar rhythm of my favorite tune. Sweet music filled the room as I let myself go in the song. Playing piano gave me a sense of security and belonging that I needed.

I spent the next couple of minutes lost in the song before stopping and looking up. Sam had moved to the couch and was happily sitting and watching me. He had a silly grin on his face which sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"That was beautiful." He said as I went over and sat down next to him, leaning against his shoulder.

"Thank you," I said softly, kissing him on the cheek. "I can't tell you what this means to me."

"I have been noticing for the past several weeks that you have this restlessness to you, and after talking with Bella and your mother actually, I figured out what you had been missing."

"You talked with my mom?" I ask curiously.

He nods. "She called me when she found out you were going to live with me and gave me the whole rundown of if I hurt you she would hire a hitman…"

He laughs at my shocked expression. "I'm just kidding, about the hitman part. But she did threaten me if I ever hurt you. Which I would never."

He leans over and gives me a hug which I instantly respond to.

"Now it's my turn to take you somewhere. Why don't you change into something nice and let's leave in thirty minutes."

I stare with wide eyes. "Really?"

He chuckles. "Yes, dummy. Now go get changed out of your pajamas, otherwise I'll have to keep you here all day."

I lean over and give him a small kiss, lightly teasing him before turning back and locking myself in the bedroom, laughing as I hear his protests from outside.

I quickly run a brush through my long tangled hair before changing into a soft, white dress that flows around my waist and stops just about my mid-thigh. I love this dress because it has a slight exposure of my back that shows just enough skin without being too provocative.

I strap a pair of brown ankle boots on my feet before stepping into the bathroom and applying a light layer of makeup.

After a few last minute adjustments, I step back and take in my appearance. Satisfied, I step out of the bedroom and smile when I see Sam patiently waiting on the couch, watching the latest game on the TV.

"Wow," he said, standing up. "You look absolutely beautiful."

I feel my stomach flutter when I see the look in his eyes and my heart swells with love. I never could imagine what life would be like without him. He completes me.

He grabs my hand, running his thumb softly over my palm as we walk out the door together. I hop into his truck as he slides into the driver's side. Soon he's pulling out of the driveway as we head on our way to who knows where.

 _ **Please Review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hey everyone! I finally completed this chapter and am already working on the next chapter so I hope you enjoy it. Sorry for the late update but bear with me as I am busy with classes and other activities.**_

 **Chapter 10**

As we drive down the road, I tap my leg in anticipation for where Sam is taking me. Knowing him, he could be driving me anywhere and while I appreciate the surprise, I still am desperate to be in on it.

"You're going to need to distract me otherwise I'll keep trying to guess what's happening right now."

He gives a slow smirk which I love. "Distract you? How would you like me to do that?"

I giggle. "Tell me a funny story or something from your past."

He ponders for a moment as he stares out at the road, one hand casually resting on the steering wheel while the other rests in his lap.

"There was this time growing up when Paul and I were about seven or eight years old. We went out exploring near the ocean like we often did since there wasn't much else to do in the rez, but this day was especially rainy with strong winds and large waves."

I stared deeply at him as he continued. "Paul and I were messing around near the water and we looked out and saw a large object floating in the water. Cheesy as it sounds, we were convinced it was a person in need of saving so without thinking at eight years old, we jumped into the water and started swimming out towards them. When we finally reached the object, we were astonished to realize it was simply a loose piece of driftwood floating in the water. Paul and I swore we would never speak of that to anyone because we were so embarrassed but both our mothers were very surprised when we came home completely soaking and shivering from the cold and we wouldn't give an explanation for how it happened."

Laughter bursts past my lips as Sam playfully pushes my shoulder. I clutch my stomach as the laughter continues and I wipe a tear from my eye.

"Wow, that's great. Of course you two wanted to be heroes and wouldn't consider that another person would be out swimming in the middle of a storm."

Sam smiles sweetly at me but I see a tenseness past his eyes that's holding something back. Leaning up, I look at him.  
"What's wrong?"

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, it was just the last thing you said, about a person swimming out in the ocean during dangerous weather. Whenever we chase Victoria to the edge of the sea, she always dives in beneath the water and disappears. To know that those creatures are out there lurking on land and sea, and thinking about what would happen if you were ever to take a walk by the water and forest and me not being there…"

He trails off.

The humor dies from my eyes as I reach over and place my hand on his leg. "Sam, it's okay. I know Victoria is out there along with who knows what but I can't express how safe I feel here with you. I know how much you care for me and I know how you are always there to protect me."

His hand wraps around mine but I see the tense way his shoulders are placed.

"Forgive me," he shares. "I didn't mean to bring such a bad thought on this beautiful day."

I sit up and reach over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You could never ruin this day. I love you."

He stops the car and grabs my face with his hands before giving me a proper kiss, filled with passion and love.

Pulling away, he gives a crooked smile with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm glad you got your distraction or did you not even notice we arrived?"

I blink, turning to look out the window and seeing that we have indeed stopped outside of a house.

"Where are we?" I ask hesitantly.

He is already exiting out of the car and walking over to my door. Pulling it open, he grabs my hand and allows me to get out.

Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, I lean into him as he walks with me to the front of the house.

I don't see any cars in the driveway, so my confusion grows as I watch Sam open the front door and peer inside before opening it fully and leading me in.

We walk through the front hallway and lead into what I believe is the kitchen before–

"SURPRISE!"

I shriek as I see dozens of faces waiting in the living room that I recognize. The whole Reservation community seems to be present in the Black house. Joyful tears fill my eyes as I see the pack, Billy and the Clearwater family, and my uncle standing next to Billy.

I rush forward and begin giving hugs to everyone I can see. Each member of the pack introduces me to their family and friends who also came out for the party.

Charlie slowly makes his way over to me and I give him a big hug.

"Quite the surprise, huh Annalise?" He says with a hint of a smile. I can tell he feels out of place here but I'm still glad to see him.

"I had no idea. Who planned all of this?"

He looks around. "Mainly Sam. He had Billy and the Clearwater family help plan the details and get everyone together."

A large smile comes to my face when I instantly search for Sam, feeling his presence close by.

He is standing across the room, talking to Sue Clearwater. Her husband, Harry passed away earlier this year and I know she is still hurting from it.

"I can't believe everyone came out here for my birthday. Where's Bella?"

I notice something flash in Charlie's eyes before he answers.

"She said she wouldn't want to disrupt your day with her being there. She says there is still some tension between the Cullens and the Rez."

I sigh. If only he knew.

"But she did say something about her and the Cullens wanting to have you over for a small party with just their family."

My face brightens. "That would be amazing. I haven't been able to see the Cullens in awhile since Sam is very protective."

A shadow falls on Charlie's face for a fraction of a second but he composes himself quickly.

"And Sam is treating you well? He's not keeping you locked up over here without your consent?"

"Oh no!" I rush to defend. "Sam is very sweet and I have been loving my time here. He just cares a lot for me and wants me to stay safe, which he is convinced that the Cullens aren't safe. I disagree though so it's not a topic we like to get into."

Charlie nods approvingly. "Well, I can't blame Sam for wanting to keep you safe, but if he ever crosses the line, let me know."

I lean in and give him a hug, feeling loved at the amount of care Charlie is showing.

"Thank you, Uncle Charlie. I promise Sam is everything I want in life, but I appreciate you looking out for me like you always have, especially when my dad died."

He wraps his arms around me and returns the hug. "Sure thing, Annalise."

We pull away and he reaches into his back pocket.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Birthday."

Grinning, I reach out and grab the card from his hand. Opening it up, I see a simple card and a small necklace with a silver moon at the end.

"Wow, Charlie. This is beautiful!"

He rubs his neck with his hand. "Uh, thanks. Sue helped me pick it out."

"Well, I think it's beautiful. Thank you very much."

I feel a warm hand come to the small of my back and I turn to see Sam standing behind me, a charming smile on his face. I instantly lean into his chest as he wraps me up in a hug, my heart leaping out of my chest.

"How's it going?" He says softly before kissing me on the forehead.

"I feel so blessed, having everyone here and feeling like one big family. My life is feeling more and more complete the longer I stay here with you."

He tightens his hug around me and gives me another kiss filled with love and tenderness.

"Is there anything else I can do to make this a wonderful birthday?"

I turn around to face him, eyes wide.

"There is one thing, but I know you won't like it."

His face grows concerned. "What do you mean?"

I bit my lip and look away, contemplating a moment before responding. "I shared that being here with you and the pack feels like family, but I would be lying if I didn't say that part of that family feels like they are missing."

He grows emotionless when the realization draws in. "The Cullens?"

I nod slowly.

He looks pained as he turns away, running a hand through his hair before turning back to me. I can see the emotional turmoil going through his mind.

I move to speak before he goes into how he wants to keep me safe. "Bella and the Cullens want to throw me a small, private birthday party at their place. Please let me go as a test to show that I am safe when I am with them. If anything happens or I feel like I am not safe, I will stop asking to go see them. You can come if you want as well to ensure that I am safe."

He exhales loudly, his shoulders slightly shaking with emotion. "If anything happens to you, there is nothing that will stop me from going over to their place and ripping them all to shreds. Do you understand that?"

I nod quickly. "I believe that this pack and the Cullens can coexist, but I know it will take time. Trust me that I can decide what is safe for me and what's not."

He doesn't reply and I decide not to push it but I also take his silence as a possible yes.

The rest of the party is filled with laughter and fun. Jacob and Quil hoist me up on their shoulders and parade me through the house must to Sam's amusement and Sue had baked a delicious cake for everyone to enjoy.  
After several hours of fun, I lean exhaustedly against Sam's shoulder.

He chuckles and runs a finger through my hair. "Tired?'

I nod, my eyes already closed as I snuggle into his chest, forcing his arm to go around me.

He decides to pick me up so he's cradling me in his arms and I get a happy little smile on my face.

He mutters goodnight to the pack, who were the only ones still left at the party and I lifted my hand up in acknowledgment of saying goodbye, eyes still closed as I relax in the gentle sway of Sam's footsteps.

When we arrived at home, Sam carried me from the car into the house. I wasn't that tired, but I secretly liked it when Sam carried me in his arms, and I'm guessing from the large smile on my face and the smug grin on his face he knew exactly what game I am playing.

Laying next to him in bed, I turned to him and grabbed his hand.

"I love you, you know that right?"

He instantly grabs my body and pulls me closer to him.

"I do. And you know that my love for you has no end and no boundaries. You are my life, Annalise, and nothing will ever come before you."

I grin as my eyes glisten with soft tears. "Way to one-up me, like always. But I love you with all of my being."

We stayed there in silence for several minutes, just allowing the beautiful moment to sink in and be appreciated between us.

As I finally allowed sleep to take me, I couldn't feel safer and loved than when I had Sam's arms wrapped around me, knowing that he loved me and cared for me.

 _ **Please review as it makes me happy and keeps me motivated:)**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello again! I am finally on summer break so hopefully, I will have more time to write and upload. Slight disclaimer for this story, I have gotten slightly off track with the story plot in order to introduce a couple key points, but after this chapter the plot will pick back up following the third book and the action will intensify.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoy! As always, please leave any suggestions or ideas that you think would make this story better. I've had a lot of good suggetions so far!**_

 **Chapter 11**

The following day, I text Bella telling her I want to see her and the Cullens soon and she happily responds telling me they would throw me a party the following night.

I go to tell Sam the news, but I stop when I see him sitting somberly on the couch with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"What's wrong." I walk over to him, still in my crumpled pajamas and sit down next to him.

He shakes his head and looks away, feigning a smile. "Nothing's wrong."

I place a hand on his wrist and he looks me into the eyes. "When do you hide things from me, Sam?"

His eyes soften when he sees my troubled features. He kisses me passionately on the lips before speaking.

"I'm sorry, baby. You know I don't want to keep anything from you. But I can't help but be worried about Victoria. She hasn't been spotted in a few weeks now and I know she didn't give up. And I feel the vampires are not doing anything about it. And now you want to go over to the Cullen's, to a side where if you are in any danger I will break a pact that has been in place for a hundred years. Can you understand why I was reluctant to tell you?"

I relax and look down at my hands. "I understand and respect your fears. But please respect my desires as well. I don't want to live a life where I can't see my cousin and her most likely future family. Bella would never wish me any harm, and the Cullen's are not normal vampires."

He leans in to kiss me again, which I drink in soft kisses.

"I will always respect your desires. And my desire is that you remain with me for the rest of our long and happy lives."

I wrap my arms around his neck and giggle. "I feel that is an easy desire to give into."

After a few more minutes of kissing, I lean back and stand up off the couch, much to Sam's protests.

"I have to get ready to go see Bella. Would you like to come with?"

I see the torment in his eyes. "I don't think that's best for right now. I wouldn't be much fun, but promise me you'll text me every second. I need to know that you are safe. I'll make sure the pack is ready on border patrol to come to your aid if anything arises."

I give a small smile of victory that he was letting me go, and I give him an extra kiss for good measure before heading back to the bedroom to find an outfit for the day.

Choosing a loser, flowing dress that goes down to my ankles with spaghetti straps that shows off my back, I pair it with a jean jacket and a pair of sandals and a couple of simple jewelry pieces before throwing my long hair in a loose ponytail at the base of my neck, leaving a few stands free to frame my face.

Sam leaned against the door frame of the room and stared at me appreciatively.

I loved the cheeky grin on his face and I go over to him and wrap my arms around his neck.

"What are you smiling at?" I ask lightheartedly.

"You." He leans down and kisses my cheek with soft kisses before moving to my lips. The butterflies in my stomach erupt with joy and I easily get distracted from my plans for the day.

"You know, I don't have to go to work today," Sam says playfully. "We could just stay here and have the day to ourselves."

I break off and slap his shoulder sarcastically. "You just don't want to share me. Don't worry, I'm all yours, always."

I move to go past him and he grabs me by the way and pulls me back towards him while I giggle loudly.

"I'm yours, too." He whispers lightly in my ear when we hear knocking at the door.

"That's Bella," I said softly, hugging Sam once more before going to answer the door.

I squeal when I see my cousin at the door, and she instantly welcomes my hug for her.

"Bella, I've missed you so much! We can't go this long again without seeing each other."

Bella gives me an extra squeeze before pulling away, her face radiating joy. I take a split second to take in how healthy her appearance is since I last saw her and my heart rejoices that she is back to her normal self.

"It's great to see you too, Annalise. I'm sorry I couldn't make your birthday party."

I shrug her off. "No worries, whatsoever. Besides, now I get to see you and we get a whole day together."

I feel Sam's presence behind me and I know he's back to alpha mode, his stone composure giving off chilling vibes. He gives a curt nod to Bella and places his hand on the small of my back. I know that last thing he wants to do is let me go with Bella to the Cullen's, but he just gives me another kiss on my forehead and whispers a request for me to stay safe.

I walk down the steps with Bella and I give Sam a reassuring smile and a wave of my phone reminding him that I will keep him in the loop with every detail.

As Bella pulls away in her truck, I give one more glance at the house before turning to my cousin.

"How's life going?"

She smiles. "Everything is wonderful, I feel like I've found the missing piece in my life after Edward returned to me."

"I'm really glad, Bella. Truly, I have been waiting to see you find your joy again."

"He's amazing, except the only issue I'm facing is how protective he is. I can't seem to do anything without him questioning my safety, trying to convince me to stay at home with him. Like your party, for example, I wanted to go, but Edward insisted that it would only cause drama with me being there."

My eyebrows scrunch together with worry. "I hope you know that's not the case. The pack loves you, and I know Jacob still has strong feelings for you–"

She nods glumly.

"–but I also agree with what you say. Sam is very protective and it was hard convincing him to let me come today. This is actually my trial run but I want to show him that I am safe around the Cullens, just as you are completely safe being with me and the pack."

"Thank you, Annalise. I'm so glad we share these feelings, and you know Edward and the Cullen's think very highly of you and think of you like family."

"I'm glad. And I'm so excited for today."

We joke and giggle the rest of the drive over, and as we enter the long driveway to the Cullen's large home, I take in the beautiful scenery of the lush trees and thick forest greenery that goes on for as far as the eye can see.

As we pull up to the house, I grin when I see Alice Cullen and her joyful personality waiting for us on the front porch. Once the Cullen's got home, before I moved in with Sam, I spent a lot of time with the Cullen's and I was able to form a connection with each of them so I am very excited to see them again.

"Annalise!" Alice yells as I exit the car. She runs down the steps, thankfully using a normal speed compared to her vampire speed.

"Hi, Alice." I express my happiness as I throw my arms around her in a large hug. Jasper follows closely behind and I give him a large hug as well.

Rosalie and Emmett are the next in line as I give them each hugs while Emmett makes a joke about how I reek like wet dog.

I know Bella has her differences with Rosalie but Rosalie and I struck a mutual friendship since she didn't feel threatened by my presence to her family. She did express her dislike of werewolves immediately, but since I didn't take it personally, she slowly warmed up to me and we are now good friends.

"Hello, Annalise." I turn to Carlise's voice and walk to give him a hug along with Esme, who is grinning broadly upon seeing me and Bella.  
"I'm so glad you were able to come with Bella, Annalise." Esme comments. "I know your mate is very protective of you, but we are really happy you still want to come visit us."

"Of course I want to come visit you. If I am not intruding, I feel like your family is a part of my family, and I told Sam how devastated it would be if I wouldn't be able to have you in my life."

"Ya, and your mate is whipped so of course he would cave to whatever you want. " Emmett's loud voice came from behind me and I turn and stick my tongue out at him.

"This is my test to show Sam that it is safe to be around you, Emmett, so don't do anything that will jeopardize this for me."

He throws his hands up to feign innocent, and my heart swells when I look around and see all of the Cullen's together and my heart feels complete knowing they still all care about me.

The reason I have yet to see Edward is because he ran straight to Bella and the two are currently embracing and whispering sweet nothings to each other off in the other room.

Bella now reenters the room, grinning widely while she holds Edward's hand, who comes over and gives me a quick hug.

"Thank you for coming, Annalise," Edward says.

"Thank you for still having me. I know this has been an uncomfortable situation for us all, but I appreciate your patience and respect as I am still adjusting to my new life with Sam."

They express their fondness and Esme ushers us inside.

"I apologize for missing your birthday, Annalise," Carlisle mentions are we sit down in the living room.

"It's really not a problem, Carlisle. Please don't worry about it too much."

I notice he gives a slight smile to Esme and I notice how everyone in the room is suddenly quiet.

"Well," Carlisle starts, picking up a flat package I hadn't noticed earlier. "We didn't entirely miss your birthday, and we wanted to give you this."

I gently take the package from his hands and look at it questionably. I see Bella smiling gleefully, which is unusual for her, and I open it without further ado.

The contents inside are old, and the first thing that hits me is the scent of withering paper. I gently pull out the thin books from the wrapping and gasp when I see the content.

"Are these, piano books from Mozart and Bach?"

Edwards nods proudly, stepping forward to point out the details.

"These are first editions of Mozart and Beethoven's work after it was first published. We have several copies which you are welcome to use whenever you want, but we also wanted you to have some of your own."

"Thank you!" I express as I throw my arms around Edward and then Carlisle.

"I can't even imagine what they are worth. I am truly touched, thank you."

The Cullens smile.

"Well," Alice begins. "We only have one day so let's make it count. We would love to show you the vampire culture a little more, but I don't know how Sam will react."

I give a slight smile. "This is my test for him. I'm here to show him that it is okay that I am with you, vampire or not. If you trust Bella to do something, then I'm sure I am perfectly safe doing it as well."

Emmett gives a loud hoot and vampire runs out of the room, leaving a slight trail of wind behind him to which I laugh. I send a quick text to Sam telling him how much fun I'm having and his response is immediate expressing his desire for me to not do anything dangerous. I internally roll my eyes. I love the dork.

I look up again to see most everyone gone. Bella hops on Edward's back and the disappear out into the woods and now it is just me and Alice left.

"Hop on, sweetie." She says with a giggle.

Grinning, I walk up and hop on her petite back. To anyone else, it would be funny to see since I am several inches taller than her but she holds me with no issue whatsoever and in a split, takes off in a quick run.

I gasp when I feel the harsh wind around my face and I lean down to get more cover. Everything is blurred around me and I wonder how on earth Alice doesn't run into a tree, bolder, or anything in the forest.

In a matter of seconds, we stop and I look up to see we are in a clearing. The smell of BBQ fills my nostrils and I grin to see Emmett standing next to a Georg Foreman grill wearing an apron that says 'kiss the chef'.

Giggling, I get down off of Alice's back and look around to see a large picnic table set up decorated with flowers and various foods.

"What is this?"

Jasper comes up and smirks. "We didn't want to push our limit too far, and you and Bella need to eat lunch so we decided a barbecue would be a fun way to spend the day.

I notice Edward and Carlisle are tossing a frisbee around, but they are standing several hundred feet apart and the frisbee is whizzing like a bullet.

"We usually use this field to play baseball," Rosalie says, joining the group. "But we ran into a mess last time and figured we didn't want to take any chances."

I notice the group cast worried glances towards Bella and I recall something she mentioned about the fiasco with James, Victoria's mate.

"Right." I start. "Well, a barbecue sounds lovely, but Bella and I are the only ones who can eat, right? You didn't need to go through the trouble and—"

Esme cut in. "It's really no problem. Plus, we never get an opportunity to do this so we really enjoy getting to partake in a normal activity every once in a while."

A huge smile goes to my face and I rush forward to give Esme a hug.

"It's beautiful, thank you!"

We spend the next couple of hours laughing and making great memories. The boys, of course, were showing off their vampire skills by doing massive leaps in the air to catch the frisbee and run past at the blink of an eye only to catch the frisbee right in front of the group sitting down.

I got to have several lovely conversations with the girls and I felt my connection grow with each of them which makes me extremely happy.

Sam was getting pretty pesky during the whole ordeal, but I understood it was because he was nervous for me. In reality, I miss him a lot and it would have been wonderful if he had come, but that will take a couple more steps.

After thoroughly stuffing my face with all sorts of good food, I stretch out on a blanket the group brought and just enjoyed the moment.

Edward comes up to me as the rest of the group is packing up, including Bella, and asks to speak with me. Seeing his serious face, I instantly oblige and he leads me a few steps away from the group. I'm assuming it's meant to be away from Bella since everyone else has perfect hearing.

"I wanted to warn you that we think Victoria is planning something."

I gaze into his dark eyes and notice the weight to his tone.

"Okay. What are we going to do about it?"

He looks back to the clearing for a moment, seeing Bella occupied, before continuing.

"I am going to take Bella away to Jacksonville for the weekend to visit her mom. It should give my family enough time to investigate further towards the city without worrying about her and time to properly hunt. I wanted to let you know in case the werewolves got suspicious as to why we are leaving the territory, but I know I can pass the information along to you. In all honesty, I suggest you as well find some extra precaution. I don't know if Victoria knows about you, but if she finds out, she could switch her target to use you as blackmail for Bella."

I cringe at the thought. "I understand, but are you sure Bella is going to be okay with leaving?"

He gives a guilty grin.

"I'm making sure she'll have no choice. But she is too self-sacrificing and could end up walking into a trap like she did with James. You have a little more common sense so I trust that you will do everything you can to protect you and the pack."

I nod quickly. "I do understand. But if you need any more help, please reach out to me and Sam. Despite hurt prejudices, we all want the same thing."

He nods.

As we head back towards the clearing, I finish packing up the stuff I used before the group begins disappearing into the woods. I hop on Alice's back, and the familiar feeling of vertigo hits my stomach.

I gratefully hop down once we reach the house and I begin giving my goodbyes to the family, knowing it was probably time for me to head home.

"Please come again soon," Esme says as she gives me a fierce hug.

Rosalie and Alice beg for me to come back for a girls night soon and I happily agree.

Bella heads towards her truck and I follow hesitantly. I hate having to walk away from people I care so dearly about and not know what I will see them again. With one last wave, I enter Bella's truck and we head back towards the rez.

 _ **Remember to review! I'll do a shout out in the next chapter for the best review posted about this chapter:)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!**_

 _ **Shout out review from last chapter is Abigail!**_

 _"Thanks for the update. I was looking through the comments and saw someone mention Eddie Spears as Sam. I looked him up..and became obsessed. He's so beautiful! **"**_

 **Chapter 12**

When we reach the border, my heart lurches when I see Sam waiting for me in his truck. He obviously grew impatient with waiting and decided to wait for me here.

When Bella stops the car, I jump out and run over to him, throwing my arms around his neck as he picks me up and spins me around joyfully before kissing me passionately on the lips.

"I missed you," I whisper happily.

He chuckles, still refusing to let me go. "I missed you too."

Finally seeing that I am alive and in one piece, he lets go long enough to say thank you and farewell to Bella, who gives an amused chuckle before she drives off.

"Are you okay?' He asks, rechecking that I am well.

I laugh. "Sam, I am perfectly fine. It was really fun! They threw me a barbecue party and gave me these priceless piano books from Mozart and Bach!"

He softens when he sees my joy from the day. Leading me back to his truck, he opens the door for me as I get in before he goes to his side and enters the car.

"Just out of curiosity," I begin with a smirk. "How long have you been waiting here?"

He grins sheepishly. "I was only here in my car twenty minutes before you arrived, but I was stalking the border the entire day since I couldn't rest without knowing you were okay."

I giggle. "That's really sweet, Sam. But I hope you realize after today that the Cullens don't mean any harm. In fact, Edward talked to me privately to warn me about Victoria."

"Is she back?" Sam asks forcefully.

I shake my head. "No, but the Cullens are very suspicious so Edward is taking Bella to her mom's for the weekend while the rest of the Cullen's go hunting and to see if they can get more information. And before you ask, no they are not going to cross into our territory."

I see the way his shoulders tense and I know I've added more stress to his job.

"And one more piece of advice that Edward shared with me, though I am hesitant to tell you anyway," I see his eyes gaze to me. "is that Edward suspects that if Victoria knows about me she will come after me as bait to use on Bella. It's the same tactic her mate did to get Bella alone two years ago."

Sam's hands tighten around the steering wheel and I can see I hit a sore note.

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew it would add unnecessary worry." I plead, placing my hand on his arm.

"No," he says with a steady voice. "I'm glad you told me. I already knew the danger but it is good that the Cullens are on the same page. But it means that I will not let you out of my sight from now on in order to guarantee your safety."

I sigh. "I knew you would say something like that. I do feel safe on the rez, and because I would never want to put Bella in harm I won't fight you on whatever you feel needs to be done to keep me safe."

He pulls in front of the house and stops the car. Leaning over, his warm hand cups my face as he places a deep kiss to my lips. I respond instantly, needing his comfort and further the kiss, loving the raw emotion it pulls from me.

We kiss until we have expressed our feelings, and as he pulls away I lean my head against his shoulder, showing my support for him.

"I promise not to bore you or imprison you here, Annalise. It would be painful for me to cause you any negative feelings, but I am so grateful that you are not fighting me on this. Know that you are the most important thing that has ever happened to me. I am so madly in love with you that the tiniest thought of losing you sends me in such a deep depression. If anything happened to you, I couldn't bear to live with myself."

I press a soft kiss against his shoulder, placing my hand in his. "Well I am here, and I feel the same about you so if you do anything that endangers yourself, I wouldn't be able to live either."

We walk inside and sit on the couch. I drape my legs over his and snuggle into his chest.

"How's work going?"

He smiles lightly. "Work is great. At the shop, I've been building this new table for one of the families in town and they've asked for a more intricate design so it's been fun to work on something that I can dedicate time to."

I give him a quick peck on the cheek, which earns me a chuckle. "I'm so proud of you."

He grips my waist tighter and I enjoy the warmth and comfort coming from his body.

"Sometimes I wish I could do sometime to pass the time." He shifts so he can look me in the eyes and I continue. "Obviously, whenever you are around I am on cloud nine, but when you are gone on pack duties and work, I feel useless."

He chuckles but takes my tone lightly. "Annalise, I hope you know you are far from useless, but I understand your concern. What would you like to do?"

I shrug. "I've been trying to think of something but my list is empty."

He ponders for a moment. "What if you taught piano lessons? I know there are a lot of parents who would like their kids in after school activities and I'm sure we have a couple of musical prodigies waiting to be discovered on the rez."

"That's perfect! Why didn't I think of that? I can put an ad in at the school and maybe even offer tutoring lessons as well."

The next day, I spend the morning creating flyers for piano lessons. After driving to the local high school, I walk up to the front office. After explaining my plan, the office gave me full permission to hang up my flyers and expressed their delight in offering piano lessons.

As I walk down the halls, hanging the posters on all the bulletin boards, I am startled by the bell ringing through the halls. Students begin pouring out of the classrooms and I do my best to stick close to the walls to avoid getting barreled over. A few students give me curious stares while the rest move past without even looking.

"Hey, Annalise!"

I turn at the familiar voice and see Quil standing next to Embry and Jacob.

"Hey!" I run up and give them hugs, amused at the sight of them in high school.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob questions.

I hold up the flyers. "Piano lessons. I'm bored when Sam is busy and I want to do my share to help the community. You boys interested?"

The laugh, slapping each other on the arms pestering the other to take them.

"Thanks, Annalise." Quil starts. "but if I start taking piano lessons, the pack will never let me live that down."

I shrug my shoulders. "Bummer, or it could bring you in favor of Sam to see you hanging out with his mate…"

The pause, pondering the thought which brings more laughter from me.

"Don't worry, boys. No need to force yourself to learn the piano, but if you have any friends who want to learn or have younger siblings, send them my way."

After assuring me they would, they leave to head to their next class and I finish putting up the posters before heading home.

The next day I receive my first phone call. A little girl named Krystal, age nine, wants to learn. Her older sister found the flyer, brought it home, and Krystal apparently was so excited she wants to start the very next week.

Every evening when Sam arrives home, I would run and throw myself into his arms and he would ask about my day and tell me about his work or any pack duties that came up.

Since Krystal wasn't starting lessons until Monday, I spend the weekend aimlessly walking around the house or the backyard, reading a book or working on a difficult piece of piano that I am composing. Sam's birthday was arriving in a month and I want to surprise him with a piece. It is something private and personal that would belong to only him and I knew he would love it.

Sunday is Sam's free day so we decide to drive along the beach and find a quiet spot to have a picnic. He takes me up high on the cliffs and I love the breathtaking view in front of us overlooking the water.

Sam grabs my hand and we walk along the cliff as I kick small rocks over the edge.

"This is where the pack cliff jumps." Sam begins. "It a tradition in the rez where all the guys have to cliff jump in order to "earn their manhood" or something, but once we unlocked our werewolf gene, we were able to jump off the higher cliffs where we are. Before it was unheard of."

I peer casually down the tremendous drop into the wild water below and shake my head.

"I feel like I should be more phased by the fact that you are risking your life over a cliff jump, but somehow this doesn't bother me at all. I almost expect it from the pack now after being friends with all the guys."

Sam laughs and I glow. I love this carefree side to him when he is able to get away from all the responsibility of running the pack is. I was afraid after visiting Bella that he would be tense and unwilling to let me leave again, but I haven't sensed that stubborn side yet and I am hoping it remains dormant.

We get to the edge of the cliffs and stand in front of the forest. We are away from the reservation so there are no houses or buildings for miles.

Grinning, I turn to Sam.

"I have a request." He gives me an amused face.

"Go ahead."

I place my hand on his chest. "Can you show me your wolf form again? I've only seen it that one time and I was a little overwhelmed with learning you were a werewolf to truly appreciate that moment."

He stands quiet for a moment and I anticipate disapproval when he speaks.

"You like seeing my wolf form?" He sounds almost surprised.

I gasp. "Of course I do! It's a part of who you are and I love every detail about you."

He grips both my forearms lightly as pride shines in his eyes.

"I thought you would be afraid to be close to me when I am a wolf. I know you accept the pack, but accepting and being in the same area as one of us in our wolf form is a very different thing. The first encounter you had with us is when Paul ripped your stomach to shreds and I almost lost you."

On instinct, I run my fingers over the fabric across my stomach where the scars prickle slightly above my skin.

"I never think that way. If anything, I am grateful for these scars because they allowed me to become a part of your world, Little Mermaid reference aside."

He laughs and kisses my forehead. "Then of course I will show you my wolf form. I will do anything you ask of me, so long as it ensures that you will be safe."

I detect a hint of warning in those words but I am distracted when Sam quickly undresses and begins to transform. I gasp as fur sprouts rapidly across his body and in a matter of seconds, the black wolf I once saw now stands before me again.

Sam trots over to me and I am in awe of how he still towers over me in this form. He is by far the biggest wolf I have ever seen and I instantly begin stroking his surprisingly soft fur. Mesmerized by the animal in front of me, I walk around Sam and admire ever feature I see. I can tell Sam is amused as my reaction because he occasionally snorts at the small gasps I let out.

Kneeling down, Sam rubs against my leg and beckons me over with his head.

"Do you want me to get on?" I ask hesitantly. He nods gruffly.

Smiling, I lean on him and swing my leg over so I am straddling his back. He slowly picks himself off the ground and begins to saunter into the woods.

I lean over and wrap my arms around his neck, enjoying every moment of this. Sam picks up the pace to a slow run, forcing me to hold on tighter.

He picks up speed again and my mouth drops when I realize just how fast we are going. Trees blur around us in unrecognizable sequences and brush and plants are lost underneath.

We continue for several minutes before he stops. I look up from where my face was hidden in his fur and I am shocked to realize we are back by the car.

I hop off and he transforms back into a man, grabbing his clothes before walking back over to me.

"You were going so fast!" I yell excitedly, bouncing on the balls of my feet. "That was incredible, Sam!"

He picks me up and swings me around, laughing along with me.

"I love seeing your reaction. It's second nature to me now so I don't even realize how different it is but you reminded me and I love you for that."

I swing my arms around his neck and kiss him passionately. "I love you too, my strong wolf man."

To finish off the perfect date, we spread the picnic table out on a grassy section and eat a delicious selection of sandwiches and fruit. As Sam lays down on the blanket, I earn an amused grin by crawling over and laying on top of him, my frame completely stretched out across his and my head leaning against his chest.

"Are we taking a nap now?"

Grinning, I nod childishly, choosing to snuggle into his chest. He wraps his arms across my back and we lay there in bliss, closing our eyes and enjoying the company of the bond.

When I open my eyes, I realize the sun has gone down drastically and I give a little tap on Sam's chest to wake him up.

"Come on, sleepyhead. We better get back so people don't assume we died or are laying in a ditch gravely injured."

He responds by rolling over, grabbing my waist with his arms so now I am on the one trapped underneath him.

"Come on, Sam. You know we have to leave eventually."

He tilts his head up. "I know you are right, but I want to forever live in this moment with you where you and I are safe and together. I don't want anything to ever change that."

I nod. "I couldn't imagine living any differently."

After a couple more minutes of prodding, Sam finally releases me and we both get up. I pack the blanket and food into the car and we drive the peaceful route back to the house.

I purposely left my phone at home because I didn't want any distractions from Sam but I am eager to check if there are any more calls about piano lessons.

When we enter the house, I take a moment to turn on the lights since the sun is now set before walking into the kitchen.

Sam mumbles something about Jacob needing to call him and walks into the living room while I grab my phone to check for messages. I am surprised to see several missed calls from Bella and I instantly hit call back and wait for her answer.

 _"_ _Annalise?"_

"Bella? What's going on?"

 _"_ _Oh thank God. Annalise, someone can to the house looking for me. They were inside when Charlie was home and they grabbed some items from my room."_

I gasp. "Oh my gosh, Bella. That's horrible! Does Edward know?"

 _"_ _Yes, he's with me now and Jacob is here as well to see if he recognizes the scent. We've been trying to get ahold of you for an hour now."_

"I'm sorry, Bella. Sam and I were on a date and didn't want any distractions. Apparently, that was a mistake."

 _"_ _Annalise, I'm afraid I didn't even tell you the worst news."_

I pause. "What is it?"

 _"_ _There are several items missing, most of them are mine but there are a few of the items you left behind missing as well. Whoever was behind this now has your scent and will probably begin searching for you."_

 ** _*Please Review. Best review will get a shoutout in the next chapter._**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Chapter 13 is up and ready and I am excited about the next upcoming chapters.**

As promised, here is a shout out review from the last chapter

 _"Kyaaaa me encanta Sam , lo adoro " en este fic" me encanta lo tierno que es , kyaaa"_

 _\- angelacorus_

Make sure to leave a review and I'll do a shout out next chapter with my favorite one:)

 **Chapter 13**

I have never seen Sam this way. Jacob called him the same time Bella revealed the terrible information: someone has my scent, someone wants to be able to track me, and with the threat of Victoria hanging in the air, the two couldn't have a stronger tie to one another.

After the call, Sam makes another quick call and heads out the door, leaving me standing in the kitchen speechless. Three minutes later, Jared walks in the house and sits down at the kitchen table, grabs an apple from the fruit basket, and starts casually munching away minding his own business.

"Hi, Jared," I utter in disbelief.

He sighs. "I'm sorry to barge in, but Sam needed me to watch you while he took care of business and judging by his voice, I knew better than to ask questions. I still don't know exactly why I am here."

My shoulders drop and I take the seat next to his. I quickly fill him in on the story and he instantly straightens out and grows somber.

"Annalise, this is serious. If someone has your scent, it can lead them directly into the res and expose our secret, not to mention put you in terrible danger."

I pause. "I didn't really consider that the pack might be in danger. Victoria already knows about the pack, but if it is someone else, then they will find out as well."

I lay my forehead against the table, which prompts Jared to lay a reassuring hand on my back.

A single tear falls down my cheek. "And if someone knew does come or if Victoria comes back and someone gets hurt because of me, how am I suppose to live with myself?"

Jared takes a couple of moments before answering. "It's not fair that this is happening to you, but nothing you have done led to this. Sam would never want you to think this way. This is our job, this is our life. We wouldn't be needed if there was never any danger. It just sucks that the danger always seems to revolve around you and Bella––must be a family trait."

A soft laugh escapes my lips and I sit back up, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Sam is just worried," Jared continues, "when a werewolf imprints, that's it. The lifeline, their soulmate, everything in one and suddenly they have a new purpose in life. After I imprinted on Kim, there wasn't a moment after that I don't think about her. She is always there, her presence singing to my soul and her image clouding my vision. And you know Sam feels no less when it comes to you."

I nod grimly.

"And if anything were to happen to you…." Jared trails off, lost in thought. "No one ever wants to lose their imprint, there would be no greater pain in the world."

We sit in silence for the next several minutes. Jared stares off into the darkness of outside thinking of his imprint and I continue to stare numbly at my hands.

For the first time since I arrived, I am torn. Jared reminded me of my love for Sam, and now my mind is plagued with fear for his life and mine. All I want is to take him and run away to somewhere no one will ever find us. Yet, the vampire came searching for Bella. I would never abandon her to a threat on her life and the sinking feeling in my heart knows we are strongest if the werewolves and Cullens stand together.

It was another two hours before Sam came back. Jared hears him walking up to the door, and steps outside to have a private word with him. I wait impatiently for the next fifteen minutes before I hear the door creak open.

Sam walks in, his shoulders drooping after he closes the door. His eyes meet mine and he softens when he sees my tear-stained face.

"Annalise…"

I run over to him and throw my arms around him, my heartbeat calming instantly when I am near him again.

We stand still for several seconds, neither one wishing to part. He slowly strokes my hair with his hand and the few tears I shed sink into his soft cotton shirt.

I step back, taking a deep breath to let everything sink in.

"What did you find?' I am finally able to ask.

"There was an unknown vampire scent found in Bella's room. Alice saw in a vision a strange vampire holding Bella's red shirt and your necklace. She doesn't know what to make of it."

I gaze into his eyes, yet I am unable to sense his emotions.

"Bella once told me that Alice can no longer see the future if the werewolves decide to involve themselves. If you decide to––"

He cuts me off. "I haven't decided to do anything yet, Annalise. The only thing I want to do is to grab you right now and take you away from everything."

I step back at the tone of his voice. It's angry, yet the anger doesn't have a target so there is frustration as well.

He runs a hand through his hair. "My heart is telling me to blame the Cullens. They involved you and they are responsible for the maniac running around trying to use you as bait to get Bella."

"You can't!" I protest. "The Cullens have always been protecting Bella and me since the moment I arrived."

Sam scoffs, walking into the kitchen. I follow him and watch as he grabs a glass of water. I know he is trying to mask his anger but it is not working since he slams the glass against the table with tremendous force causing me to jump from the impact.

"You know we have to help," I speak slowly, my words coming out as a whisper in an attempt to hide my fragile emotional state.

He shakes his head but slowly stops as the rationality hits. "I have never once experienced any excuse to not carry out pack duties. For the past couple years, the pack has been my life and I strived on that bond, but then I met you and I…" He trails off. "Nothing means more to me than you, not the pack, not my hatred of vampires, not my life, nothing means more than you and yet now you are in the middle of it all on a pedestal waiting to be shot down and I _can't_ sit back and watch."

I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist. I can feel the tension running through his hard muscles and stiff frame.

"You are what matters to me, Sam. Except I see you on the pedestal because of me and that terrifies me even more. But I have faith in you, the pack, and the Cullens. If we run, it's just you and me. But here we have our own little army. We are strong."

He finally acknowledges my hug and returns it.

"We are also a larger target and can attract more enemies. Strength signifies challenge."

"I know." I concur. "But this is also our family and we can't abandon them in their time of need."

Neither of us responds as the reality weighs in around us. As I hug Sam, I let my head rest against his chest and listen to his now steady breathing, allowing myself to close my eyes and let the raw, unbridled emotions pour out of my soul into the man I love.

"You are first," Sam whispers. I look into his dark eyes as he continues. "We will stay and protect the Cullens and Bella, but you are first on my priority and if I have to abandon them in order to save you, I will not hesitate for one second."

I don't reply but simply hug him tighter, not able to form a cohesive sentence.

As we crawl into bed that night, we hold onto each other with a new perspective: that one of us could be taken from the other. This is the tragedy that consumes our lives, that after finding each other, the unending threat of separation or suffering immediately follows. For maybe the first time in my life, I didn't have a solution.

The next day starts my first piano lesson with Krystal. She arrives promptly at 3 pm and when I open the door, my heart melts at the innocence radiating from her face.

"Hello, Krystal!" I invite her in and shake hands with her friendly mother. After chatting for a brief moment, her mother left and I brought Krystal over to the grand piano in the living room.

"Wow," her little voice is barely above a whisper. "That's a beautiful piano, miss."

Smiling, I lean down next to her. "You think so? It was made as a birthday present for me so it's very special."

I help her sit up on the bench and I place myself next to her.

"Alright, Krystal. We are going to start learning the C major scale. You place your right hand here–" I proceed to demonstrate the placement of her fingers and hands on the keys and we begin to go up and down the scale together, slowly at first but then gradually picking up pace.

"Great job!" My heart melts at the sight of her happy expression. She hasn't said many words yet, but I hope she will soon warm up to me.

We spend the next hour going over various beginner exercises and little games. I learn she wants to learn piano after she read a book where the main character played the piano and she wants to be just like her.

After the two-hour session was coming to a close, I hear the front door open and I look up to see Sam enter the house.

"Hey honey," I say smiling. Krystal finishes her "Three Cross Buns" song, stopping after she sees the strange man in the house.

Sam smiles with a glint in his eyes as he takes in the scene. "How is piano lessons going?"

I turn to Krystal to get her opinion but she just looks up with wide eyes and whispers, "Is that your husband?"

I smile faintly, replying, "Not yet, sweetie. But hopefully soon." I meet Sam's eyes, knowing he can hear me.

Krystal hops off the bench and runs over to Sam, wanting to properly introduce herself which earns a small chuckle from me.

After her mom picks her up, I wave from the front door as Krystal drives off. Sam stands next to me and places his hand on the small of my back in a warm, supportive gesture.

"My world froze for a moment when I walked into the house and saw you sitting at the piano with Krystal," Sam speaks in a soft voice. "I saw our future when we have kids, me watching you teach them piano."

Light moisture fills my eyes and I nod slowly. "That will be one day, and we both will be there to watch our children grow up and have lives of their own."

His hand tightens slightly around my waist. "It's the most important thing that matters to me."

I don't reply, but the silence is taken as agreement as we close the front door and retreat back into our allusion of safety and comfort.

The next day Sam is gone again and I am home alone. I make myself busy by baking extra muffins and desserts since the pack is coming over later before the tribe meeting and I know they are always hungry.

As I stir the batter, I notice my phone ringing from the kitchen table. Seeing it's Bella, I pick it up.

"Hey, Bella. Any news on the vampire situation?"

 _"_ _Unfortunately, no. I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be coming to the res tonight for the tribal meeting. Edward is being extremely stubborn and almost refused to let me know, but we finally figured out a compromise. I have to be in your "line of sight" the entire time."_

I laugh, pouring the mix into the muffin tin. "I don't even know what to say, Bella." Jacob and Bella got close when Edward left and I first arrived, so it was understandable that Bella wants to spend time with him, however, I know from Sam and I'm sure Edward is aware as well that Jacob has a huge crush on Bella.

"Well, I just want to give you a heads up and ask you to have my back through this mess."

I smile. "I always do, Bel. Thanks for letting me know."

I hang up after she lets me know she'll be there soon and I place the muffins into the oven before tidying up.

Later, after I place the last muffin out on the cooling rack I hear the front door open and a hoard of footsteps rushing in. The pack enters the house and cheers when they see the large pile of goodies waiting on the counter for them.

I laugh as Paul and Embry fight over who gets the first one and make sure to back up to avoid getting in the way of hungry guys.

Sam comes up next and kisses me passionately in front of the guys, who give a loud cheer when they see our display of affection.

Jared comes up and smiles. "I'm glad to see things are back to normal."

I give a small smile and hug Sam around the waist in response, nestling my face against his chest, causing Jared to laugh.

When Bella finally arrives, she instantly pulls me over to the side to catch me up about Jacob.

I listen as my thoughts swirl around me. He's really serious about her and she can't lose either him or Edward in her life. It's how I imagine not having Sam. I would do anything for him but I also feel a pull to protect and love my friends, especially Bella and seeing her stand in front of me, I know I would give my life to protect hers.

Sam comes over to grab me once we start heading over to the meeting.

"Everything okay with Bella?" He asks gently.

"She is conflicted. It's hard when loved ones make you choose but she is doing her best."

He doesn't respond but I can feel the torment inside of him at my words. Not wanting him to worry, I place a soft kiss on his cheek and grab his hand so I can be closer to him.

The tribe meetings take place every few months, the last one happening when I first arrived so I haven't been to one yet and my curiosity is present when we arrive at the beach and I see a large bonfire with several people already gathering around.

I see Jared sitting with Kim and I rush over to say hi. Kim and I have grown close these past few weeks especially since we both share the knowledge of how special imprinting is so it's easy to share my thoughts and feelings with her, knowing she feels the exact same way.

Jared and Sam exchange a few words to each other, but both eyes are on us as we catch up. A few minutes later, Sam comes up, wrapping his hand around my waist.

"Are you ready?"

"Yup." I lean into him, loving his sudden warmth as we find a spot on a big log shared with Jacob and Bella.

Billy Black begins the meeting, sitting next to Sue and her children Seth and Leah. I'm entranced by the detailed story he shares about the legends of the Quileutes and werewolves. I listen to them but I grow sleepy so I fall asleep against Sam, my last gaze at Bella seeing her intent stare and thinking she must be interested in the tales of the werewolves.

I stir to the swaying of Sam gently carrying back to his car.

"How was your nap, beautiful?" He says, giving me a brilliant smile against the dark night.

I giggle. "Whoops, I hope I didn't offend Billy by falling asleep. I was just so tired."

"Don't worry about it. Kim fell asleep as well and Jared carried her off as well."

I grin when I look at us. Here I am, a grown woman being carried like a child in the arms of Sam. I knew I could ask to walk and Sam would let me down, but I love feeling his strength and protection and I know he enjoys being able to take care of me so we walk in pure bliss back to the car knowing that there is no other place we would rather be.

 **Leave a review for a chance to get a shout out in the next chapter! Also leave any suggestions or comments that you want:)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi friends! I am back on Christmas break, crazy since it's been a year since I started this story but I am now determined to finish this story before I go back to school so expect a lot of updates before Jan. 12 hopefully. Anyway, I reread the books so now I have refreshed the details of the novels in my mind so I can stay on track.**

 **I also made big plans for Annalise so expect a lot of action and slight drama come up as we are a few chapters away from the end of Eclipse. I am planning on finishing this story at the end of Breaking Dawn, so we have those chapters but Annalise will be dealing with some issues of her own and her and Sam's story will continue.**

 **As always, pleaseeeeee review since it makes me super happy and literally you can say anything you want. And I will be posting the best review from this chapter at the start of the next chapter so may the best review win!**

 **Last chapter's best review goes to Carly:**

 **"** Another option for Sam other than Eddie Spears could be a younger Rick Mora." I like it;)

 **Chapter 14**

 _"_ _Annalise, it's moments like this that I am envious of your life."_

Annalise places her phone on the bed as she listens to Bella talk on the speaker.

"Why is that?"

 _"_ _Because I can't deal with Edward and Jacob always fighting."_ Bella's voice came out as a shrill. _"Jacob kissed me! And I broke my hand after I punched him in the face. And then he is determined he is going to save me from my death as a vampire and doing everything in his power to annoy me."_

"I'm sorry, Bella. You know Jacob means well, and I haven't mentioned it yet to Sam because I am afraid of his reaction."

 _"_ _Thanks, Annalise. I don't want to get in between you and Sam, but I also really appreciate your support. Are you still planning on coming to my graduation ceremony?"_

I give a slight laugh. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Charlie already invited me out to dinner with you afterward."

 _"_ _Great, I guess I'll see you then."_

"Bye, Bells."

I hang up the phone and continue to lay on the bed, pondering my thoughts. The last few weeks have flown by and the issue with the deaths in Seattle has substantially increased, the news claiming a mass serial killer or gang. Sam has been running double shifts on the border to guarantee that Victoria won't reach either me or Bella, yet she hadn't been seen in a long time. And my love for Sam grows every day. When he comes home from work, my heart explodes, when we go to the store to pick up groceries, my heart explodes, when he lovingly caresses my cheek, yes, heart explodes. Even now, as I wait for him at home, my head swirls with unavoidable love.

The pack is coming over tonight for dinner, so I pull myself off the bed and head into the kitchen to begin the prep work.

After creating two giant lasagnas and placing them in the oven, I set off to clean up the counter space, wanting everything to be neat when the pack arrives. The house is lonely and I wish for Sam's company. It was more and more difficult to spend time with him as threats continued to pour in. And when he did arrive at home, he was always exhausted and needed his rest. However, my biggest concern was the fact that he was out risking his life against dangerous vampires who were hunting me and there was nothing I could do about it. If anything happened to him, I already knew the hole in my heart would never be full again. There would be no point even existing. Sam was my life, my purpose, and I needed him like oxygen.

I inwardly scoff at myself. What a mess, Annalise.

The loud grunts from outside signals that the pack is arriving. I hastily clean up the rest of my mess and place the lasagna's out so the boys can have easy access to them. I can't believe how much time has passed since my call with Bella.

Jared and Embry were the first to enter, roughly bumping into each other as they make their way towards the food. Laughing, I duck away from the kitchen table to avoid the slaughter just as Paul enters. He politely nods in my direction and I smile back. Our relationship was definitely improving since the accident. Quil enters next with Jacob and I instantly notice a somber mood to Jake. I know Bella is having it rough but Jacob looks dead on the inside, whatever conversation they just came from couldn't have been good. Quil, on the other hand, was bouncing off his feet. He imprinted last week and though it caused quite a scandal because Claire was two, I know Quil was a child at heart and would be the best friend he could possibly be until she ages.

I am surprised as two new faces enter, the Clearwater siblings, Seth and Leah.

Seth, young and innocent, rushes forward when he sees me.

"Annalise, you'll never believe what happened! Leah and I shifted! We're part of the pack now."

Leah and him? I look to the beautiful girl with smooth tan skin and straight black hair. I thought the werewolf gene was only passed down to male descendants?

"That's wonderful, Seth!" I rush forward to hug him, laughing when his large frame instantly covers me. Even at fifteen years old, he was a giant.

I turn to Leah and go to hug her, but she turns before I can and heads towards the kitchen.

"She will need some time to warm up to you," Jared says as he comes up next to me with a plate full of lasagna. "I don't know how much Sam told you, but he and Leah were high school sweethearts and she hasn't recovered from it since he found you."

"Oh." I feel a heavy weight sink into my heart. I never meant to cause trouble between the pack. I knew about Sam's past, but I never estimated Leah's pain.

"Don't worry about it," Jared assures me. "You are Sam's imprint, his perfect match. She finally understands that now that she joined and she will just need time to take it all in. Give her some space, but she'll warm up to you. I don't think she has many female friends."

The weight disappears and a new pain of empathy enters. I see Leah with a new light and see how tense her shoulders are and the tightness of her jawbone as she stood next to the boys. She must feel so alone.

My thoughts are distracted when a familiar pair of hands wrap around my waist and I spin around, the joy radiating off of my face as I throw my arms around my imprint.

"Sam!"

He chuckles at my enthusiasm and begins to kiss my forehead, trailing soft kisses down my cheek, to my nose, until finally reaching my lips.

We are so absorbed with each other that we fail to remember the audience as a round of applause breaks out.

Pulling away, I laugh at the hoots from Quil and Embry. I press my back against Sam's warm chest and he wraps his large arms around me, engulfing me in a warm embrace as we stand and watch the on slaw of food.

"So Leah and Seth?" I ask innocently.

"They changed yesterday and I've been with them ever since. They are still new, so be careful around them for a time, but they are showing a lot of restraint."

"That's good. I still can't believe how many are shifting. Wasn't there only three the last time the Cullens were in Forks?"

Sam tightens his grip. "Yes, but we have more recipients of the gene, and the Cullens have remained here for longer. Plus, with the danger of unknown vampires running around, it's good to have extra bodies."

I frown at his phrase. "I don't like how having more in the pack stands as extra bodies. It sounds like more to slaughter."

"You know I didn't mean that," he turns me around to face me. "I would never let anything happen to anyone of the pack. It's just nice to have more wolves to run patrols so we can take more time off."

I give a small smile. "I guess more time off would be nice."

He gives a deep chuckle that sends goosebumps over my arms. "And that means that I can get more time with the love of my life."

Fulling smiling, I stand up on my tiptoes and plant a kiss on his lips. "I promise never to complain again."

The meeting begins as I retreat to the back to begin cleaning up as Sam runs over the reports for the pack. I love seeing this side of Sam. He leads with determination and everything about his screams power. The rest of the pack respects him and appreciates him, even Jacob, whom Sam told me is supposed to be the leader of the pack but pleads that he isn't ready.

I go into the sitting room and pick up my favorite book, Jane Eyre. I get lost in the words so I didn't notice when the meeting ended, and I was startled by the sudden burst of noise as the guys left the house, peeking into the room to shout their goodbyes and gratitude for the food.

I notice Jacob still in the kitchen and I quickly race over to where he stands, eager to talk to him before he leaves.

"Hey."

He glances over at me. "Hi, Annalise."

"Bella told me earlier about your little fight. Are you okay?"

He gives me a shocked smile and shakes his head. "So you heard I kissed her, and she punched me. And then broke her hand."

I shrug. "She's been through worse. I'm not saying what you did was right, but I also care about you and want to make sure you are alright."

"I love her, and it kills me to see her with the leech. Gosh, why can't she just choose me!"

I sense his pain and place a gentle hand on his as he continues.

"How can you be okay with this? She's your cousin and she's with one of them. Has she even told what her plans are for graduation?"

I nod slowly. "I can't accept or condemn her choice, but I can choose to love her. She loves Edward and wants to be with them. I know it's hard to grasp, but you know what happened when Edward left, she was near suicidal!"

"But she loves me too, I know it. And I can be just as good for her if she gives me the chance."

"I know you can. But you have to respect her wishes. Bella will choose what her heart tells her."

Jacob goes silent again and I know the matter isn't over. I try to change the topic.

"Are you planning on going to her graduation tomorrow?"

"Yes. You?"

"I wouldn't miss it. Maybe we can drive together? I still need to ask Sam, but I'm assuming he won't go because the Cullens will be there. But he might be less reluctant to let me go if you're with me."

He gives a cheeky smile. "We'll see, I doubt Sam ever wants you away from me. But yes, if he doesn't want to go, then I got your back."

I give him a big hug and am happy to see he responds to it, wrapping his arms around me. I see Jacob as my brother and it's always nice to have his support.

When he leaves, it's just Sam and me left. He is sitting on the couch and I happily stalk over to him and place myself on his laugh, loving that he is near.

"I can never get enough of you," I whisper since I am close to his face. "There will never be a moment that I wish I was away from you."

I stare deep into his eyes and I feel the intensity in his gaze.

"Marry me."

My mouth pops open at his words, completely caught off guard. "What?"

He gently takes my hand. "Marry me, Annalise. I've been preparing for the last several weeks of all the ways I could ask you, but sitting here with you now, I want this forever. I want you forever. I want our kids to run through the house, and if this house isn't big enough to fit them all, I'll build another one but most importantly, I want you. You are my perfect everything, none will ever compare or even be recognized. Now, what do you say? Will you marry me?"

Tears formed in my eyes as my heartbeat ran rapidly in my chest. I knew this was coming, it didn't make sense not to get married soon, but this was special. This was my Sam the exact way that I love, with me in our safe little world and nothing can distract us or bring us apart.

"Of course I will marry you, Sam. I would marry you right now if we had a pastor close by, I'm contemplating calling one over now."

He laughs and pulls me in for a soul-searing kiss, the raw passion is so intense I feel my body floating in the air, never wanting to come down.

He moves me off of his lap, gets off the couch and gets down on one knee, pulling a small box from his pocket.

"I didn't know you had the ring now?"

"Annalise, I've had this ring the week after I met you. I've been saving it ever since. It was my mother's and now I want it to be yours."

He opens the box and I gasp at the beautiful diamond with a thin gold band. A string of emeralds wrap around the diamond in an intricate way and the sunlight catches the sparkle beautifully.

He slips it on my finger and I love the delicacy of the ring and the perfect fit upon my finger. I kiss him again and we are lost in the bliss happiness.

 **Dangggg crazy things are about to happen. Please review to share suggestions or inspirations, drawings, anything you want. Just let it out. See you guys soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Another chapter done! I just want to make a slight disclaimer stating that I only give minor edits to each chapter so there will most likely be mistakes. Since I am not focused on making this grammatically correct, I just wanted to share and give a heads up in case you run across any mistake. With that said, this story is more of my easy writing, fun story that I have been enjoying thoroughly for the last year.**

 **Review shoutout from the last chapter goes to Camilla: **

**"** Just a thought, but maybe Annalise can decide to become an author under a pen name, and start writing a story from home. That way she will be able to make some money, but still be at home with Sam (and their future children)."

 **As a writer, I love this idea! We will have to see if it makes it in further chapters;)**

 **Make sure you leave a review for this chapter as I will post the best one in the next chapter. As always, I welcome any suggestions or ideas to make the story more enjoyable.**

 **Chapter 15**

I smile at myself in the mirror as I look at the finished look in the mirror. My chestnut hair is curled elegantly down my back as I pin a small part back behind my ear, showing off the hanging gold earrings near my neck. I am wearing a navy blue dress that falls mid-thigh with a tight bodice that hugs my curves. A pair of brown wedge heels are strapped over my ankles that make my legs seem longer than they are and I have a minimal amount of makeup on that highlights my eyes and lips.

None of that matters to me, however, for the part I admire the most is the beautiful ring that Sam placed on my finger yesterday that is now forever a part of me. Butterflies swirl in my stomach as I think about marrying Sam, walking down the aisle to see him standing at the end waiting for me. It brings a rush of euphoria that radiates from my very soul. I can't wait to be his wife, to be by his side forever, to never have to worry about being away from him.

I can't shake the smile that is on my face and it grows even wider as Sam walks up to me dressed in dark pants and a nice shirt, looking like the sexiest, most handsome man alive.

"You look beautiful, darling." He places a fiery kiss upon my lips and I respond instantly, wrapping my hands around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

It takes several minutes for him to pull away, chuckling at my angry protests as he cups my face with his hands and places one last kiss on my forehead.

"We are going to be late for Bella's graduation, Annalise. As much as I'd like to forget everything today and stay in here with you, we'd probably get chewed out by your uncle and Bella."

I grin smugly, still giddy from his kisses. "I suppose you are right. Thank you for agreeing to come again. It means a lot to me."

I feel the tension breach his shoulder for a brief moment before he calms himself down. "I wouldn't let you go alone and the school is a safe ground to visit. I'm…trying, Annalise. I promise you I am, but I still don't trust them with you, and I don't think I ever will."

I bit my lip subtly in silence, knowing the effort he is bringing out.

The topic is already long forgotten by the time we get in the car to drive over to Bella's high school. I can't help but let my mind wander off to what could have happened if I didn't graduate early. I would be graduating with Bella now, getting my cap and gown on and thinking about what comes next in life. I sometimes forget that I am only eighteen and should still be young and naive to the world. Yet here I am engaged, going to my cousin's graduation whose boyfriend is a vampire accompanied by my fiancé who is a werewolf.

I giggle to myself, causing Sam to give me a curious stare but I keep silent to my thoughts.

As we approach the high school, Sam gives a tight growl as he spots the silver Volvo in the parking lot. Not knowing what to do, I place my hand over his and squeeze it tightly, waiting until he calms down to lean over and place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Are you ready?"

He nods sweetly, his eyes softening as he focuses on me and his love radiating clearly throughout his face.

Leaning over, his lips capture mine in a heated embrace and I am in bliss once again by the man next to me. I have never felt so free and so sure of my life without him by my side.

"Then let's go, fiancé." I grin wickedly. "We have some important news to share as well."

We meet Charlie inside the gymnasium and Sam is able to relax when he sees Jacob as well on the bleachers. Esme and Carlisle are seated next to us which puts Sam at ease but at least he is behaving well enough.

. Edward walks first, earning a loud cheer from myself and his parents next to us. Bella walks across the stage in a beautiful outfit which I know is the work of Alice. Tears grip my eyelashes as I see her smiling proudly as she accepts her diploma. Soon, her high school friends follow and we all cheer as the valedictorian gives the final speech.

After the ceremony, we go to greet the new graduates and I rush forward to give Bella a giant hug and kiss in congratulations. She scoffs in mock disdain at the necklace Sam and I presented her but softened when I told her it was made by one of the women on the Rez. It was a dainty silver necklace with a circle in the middle to represent her total family and how it can all connect. Sam didn't understand the metaphor and I wink at Bella as we hand it to her signaling I'll explain later.

I also give Edward and the Cullens a big hug and he whispers in my ear congratulations, causing a faint tinge of red to come to my cheeks when I realize he's talking about the engagement. He briefly passes by Alice and whispers in her ear. In less than a second, her eyes meet mine and flash with a fierce determination that can only mean she needs major details about the event and I nod to her in response. Alice and I have previously talked and since apparently she cannot see the werewolves' future, she cannot see any decision I make with Sam which must irritate her.

As the merriment continues, Charlie pulls me and Bella aside and asks if we want to go to the local diner for dinner. We agree and I turn to Sam to tell him the news.

"Are you going to join me at Bella's graduation party?" I ask with hesitation.

He winces as if pain. "I need to be on the Rez tonight to run patrols. With the threat of loose vampires running around and the Cullens distracted…" he trails off.

I grip his waist tightly. "Don't worry, love. I will be missing you but I understand. Maybe we can have a celebration this weekend to celebrate our engagement with the pack and families?"

He places a lingering kiss on my forehead before capturing my lips with his for a fiery kiss. My stomach goes off in a frenzy of butterflies at the moment, and I mourn when he pulls away.

"I'll see you later then."

"Later," I whisper with a murmur of want.

Charlie drives us to the diner which is crowded with other graduates and their families. Securing a booth, we place our orders and talk about life.

"I need to make an announcement," I say happily.

Charlie looks suspicious and Bella happy.

Placing my hand on the table which I have been conveniently hiding for the duration of the day, they see the diamond ring.

"Sam and I are engaged!" My joy radiates on my face as my excitement grows. Charlie turns a shade of grey and Bella pales in comparison as well.

"Well," Charlie says breaking the silence. "Uh, congratulations, sweetheart. I mean, eighteen is a little early to get married, but you and Sam are practically joined at the hip so I guess I'm not surprised."

I look at Bella, who seems to be taking the news a little better. "I'm really happy for you, Annalise. My mind has been so focused on graduating and what comes after that I never stopped to think about your future." Her words held double meaning and a twinge of saddening guilt.

I grip her hand. "I know there's been a lot on your plate, but I hope that you could possibly be my maid of honor?"

She blinks, clearly stunned before she recovers. "I would love to! And I'm sure Alice would love to take care of any details you need as well, that is if Sam is okay with that."

"I'm sure he will be, especially if it pleases me."

We spent the rest of the meal catching up on other details and discussing college plans and such. Since Sam will have to stay on the rez, I don't see any need to go to college but Bella is pretty excited about her acceptance to the University of Alaska and other colleges.

"Do you want to come with me over to the Cullens?" Bella asks as Charlie gathers the bill. "Edward is going to pick me up now so we can help set up."

"I would love that. I hadn't planned on going back to the rez before the party anyway."

Edward is promptly waiting outside as we exit the diner. Bella embraces him fondly as Charlie coughs to remind them that he was still there.

We give Charlie a quick goodbye and thanks for the food and get in Edward's Volvo. The ride over to the Cullen's forest home is rather pleasant yet seeing Bella and Edward's fondness for each other makes me miss Sam.

"I'm sorry he couldn't make it," Edward said knowingly after hearing my thoughts.

"I'll be okay. He has his duties and I'm just grateful to have him and your family."

As we approach the house, I look in awe at the festive twinkling lights decorating the road leading up to it.

"This is so beautiful!"

Edwards laughs. "Alice did everything of course. You say the word party around her and she goes off on her own, no one can stop her."

I smirk at Bella's low groan of discomfort, she never was one for a big gathering.

As we pull into the driveway, I run out and give Rosalie and Emmett a big hug, moving next to Jasper and Alice before hugging Esme and Carlisle. It is so good to see them again especially amidst all the drama of the loose vampire running around.

"What can I do to help?" I ask Alice after the hellos.

They all laugh like I've said a joke.

Esme rubs my arm affectionately, "Like Alice would need anyone's help, dear. But we appreciate the offer. Why don't you come inside for some refreshments? You and Bella can make sure we have enough food for everyone coming."

"And how many people are coming exactly?" Bella grabs her shoulder awkwardly.

Alice smirks. "No need to worry, Bella. I'm sure you'll love it."

The inside of the house is completely decked out. The furniture is pushed away to create more space in the main living room. Decorative lights are strung everywhere to create a nightclub vibe and a giant table is one the side of the wall with every drink and snack food imaginable. Both Bella and my eyes bug out at the sight.

"Is it enough?" Alice asks innocently.

"More than enough to feed the whole town of Forks," I say with delighted humor.

The doorbell rings and I walk over to the door, opening it to see Bella's group of friends from school. I usher them in as the peer around curiously, obviously having never seen the Cullen's house before.

As they mingle with Bella and themselves, I set over to the side where Rosalie and Emmett are staying. It is clear that Rosalie doesn't want much interaction with the guests, judging by the look on her face.

"So I hear you're engaged to the big wolf?" Emmett asks sarcastically.

I playfully punch him in the arm. "Looks like it. As if you can't get rid of the stink on me, now it will be with me wherever I go."

Emmett pinches the bridge of his nose in mock disdain while Rosalie tries to conceal her smile. I reach over and grab her hand lightly, squeezing to show my friendship.

"Just promise me when you have kids, I get to hold them," Rosalie says lightly. I see a deep pain hidden beneath her lovely eyes.

"I promise."

I look back out at the party and to my surprise, I see Jacob, Embry, and Quil enter the house. They see me and quietly head over in my direction.

"Hey guys! What are you doing here?" I see Rose and Emmett shift uncomfortably behind me.

Embry gives me a big hug. "Bella invited us. Good to see you here, Sam was getting restless with you here. He felt better that we are here."

I give Quil and Jacob and a quick hug as well before they head over towards Bella who's on the other side of the room.

"I'd never thought I see the day when we had werewolves in our living room," Rose says with disgust.

Noticing my hurt expression, she sighs. "I'm sorry, Annalise. That was a careless comment. I'm not used to it, but I'm willing to compromise for you."

I slowly give her a hug. "Thanks, Ro. I know this is hard but I truly can't imagine life without the pack or without you. I need you both."

Emmett joins in on the hug, crushing us both against his chest which earns a round of laughter.

"Just wanted to share the sentiment, ladies."

I survey the room, noticing the obvious discomfort circling among the guests and the hosts. I hear a low growl coming from behind me. I am shocked when I turn around to see Rosalie baring her teeth.

"Rose?" I follow her gaze and look over by the stairs. I quickly survey the situation when I see Jacob, Embry, and Quil circling around Bella. Normally I wouldn't think anything of it, but taking a second look, I notice the intimidating stance the boys are taking and the look of fear crossing my cousin's face. Alice is pausing midway down the stairs, her face in an uncomfortable grimace as the boys now glance up to her.

I am on my way over when Jasper walks up, giving Jacob a firm push on the chest and the tension increases tenfold.

"Hey!" I shout. "What is going on here?"

I tug against Embry and Quil's arms, pulling them away from Bella as Rose and Emmett go to stand next to her.

"Annalise, it's best if you stay out of this," Embry says, pushing me behind him.

"What do you mean? The Cullen's would never hurt me."

"Oh ya?" Jacob's voice is two octaves deeper than usual. "Tell that to the pixie who's been keeping secrets from us. Apparently there's an army of vampires coming to Forks for you and Bella."

My face pales as I look to Bella for confirmation.

"Is this true?"

Her expression is one of guilt and shame. "Annalise, I didn't want to tell you unless we absolutely had to. I just found out myself."

Taking a deep breath, I calm myself down. "Okay," I say, cutting through the tension. "Clearly this is a real situation now that we need to discuss as a whole."

Alice groans. "Great, my visions disappeared. Looks like the werewolves have decided to invade the party."

"What?" Bella shrieks. "Jacob, you can't seriously be thinking…"

"Oh yes, we are. If there are vampires coming, you can bet we will be there."

Before Bella can complain any more, Carlisle cuts in. "Please, we are causing a scene. Bella, I agree with Jacob. I believe we will be better protected if we employ their help. Jasper here is an expert on newborn armies, which we believe is what we are up against. Can you arrange a meeting with Sam so we can go over the details? There are certain advantages the newborns have that you will need to know."

Jacob nods. "We will leave now to warn the rest."

"Let's meet at midnight tonight in the large clearing past the bounty line."

Jacob nods again, turning to leave. He grabs my arm on the way out. "We need to take you to Sam immediately."

"She should come to the meeting tonight," Jasper calls out. "They are hunting her as well as Bella. We need to discuss a safe strategy for both of them."

"I'll talk to Sam."

Before I can protest, Jacob leads me out the door, Quil and Embry following behind. I can only catch eyes with Bella before I am out of sight to see the same desperate plea in her eyes that is in mine.

"Can you ride on my back?" Jacob asks when we reach the driveway. "I need to contact Sam now and it will be faster to get back to the bounty line."

"Sure, fine."

I turn my back as the boys take off their clothes in the dark, turning around only when I hear the gruff breathing of a much larger being. Climbing on Jacob's wolf, I grab the reddish-brown fur tightly and lean in close as he dashes off into the woods. Far ahead, I hear a loud howl break through the silence of the night and I know Sam has heard the shocking information.

 **Review! Review! Review! What do you think Sam is going to do about the newborn army hunting Annalise and Bella? Also, Merry almost Christmas and Happy Hannukah!**


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